


Baby, thinking of you keeps me up all night

by spiderwebsitar



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Britney Spears - Freeform, Complete, Drinking, First Kiss, M/M, Minor Hank Anderson/Connor, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-06-26 07:04:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19763032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderwebsitar/pseuds/spiderwebsitar
Summary: When Gavin gets invited to his boring, uptight cousin's wedding, he doesn't even want to make to effort to go. Even after his dad tells him to bring somebody who'll turn heads and start trouble, Gavin isn't sure who to bring with him, until he settles on his partner, the stone cold RK900.Just because it'll be hilarious. Not because Gavin actually likes working with him or thinks he's kind of funny or wants to get to know him better. Definitely not.





	1. Tell me I'm not in the blue

**Author's Note:**

> My job was kind of slow fourth of July weekend so this happened. I always kind of liked the idea of Gavin having a chill dad so, here we are. Thanks for reading :)

**Dad**

**11:44 AM**

Dad. Family emergency. Call me

**11:45 AM**

We need to talk ASAP

~

“I see you got the invitation.”

Gavin stared at the message on his computer screen like it needed to be decoded. “Yeah, quick question Dad, what the fuck is this about?”

“Michael’s getting married,” Dominick said patiently, like Gavin was five years old. “You know, the cute cousin.”

“Uh, I was the cute cousin Dad.” Gavin scoffed, glancing over the message like he hadn’t already done it five hundred times. He had plenty of shit he had to do, but instead he was just sitting at his work station, the words searing into his brain: _We would be pleased if you joined us for our Independence Day Union on Saturday July 4th -  
_

Gavin groaned. “And why the _fuck_ are they getting married on the Fourth of July? What if I was like, barbecuing something?”

“Let’s not be completely ridiculous here Gavin.”

“Dad,” Gavin whined, kicking back in his chair, “I am not fucking going to this shit.”

“Come on, kiddo,” Dominick said encouragingly. “It’s just one night.”

“Yeah, one stimulating night of patriotism at cousin Michael’s second wedding.”

“Yep, a _wedding_ , Gav. You know what that means.”

“Free drinks,” Gavin said miserably.

“Free drinks,” Dom repeated like it was the greatest phrase of all time, which it probably was, to be honest. “And an excuse for us to be together! When was the last time you saw your old man, eh? Margie’s funeral? That was a fucking riot.”

“Yeah, almost literally,” Gavin said, remembering the fight that had broken out on the front yard of the church, because his aunt and one of his cousin’s girlfriends were both wearing the same dress.

“Well, it’s not too far of a drive for you. I’m going to fly in and stay with your aunt Laura for the weekend. You should come out on Friday, we could shoot the shit, get some Taco Bell like old times.”

“Now you’re just trying to bribe me.”

“Who said I was paying? I’m retired, son. I raised you for eighteen years, it’s high time you start paying for my soft tacos.”

“You raised me for twenty four years, don’t get it twisted,” Gavin complained. “And you cried when I moved out.”

“Don’t change the subject. We’re going to the wedding.”

Gavin groaned in defeat. “Fine. We’re going.”

“Good man. You got anyone to bring?”

“Me?” Gavin laughed, then, looking over his desk. Most of the other cops had pictures of their partners and kids, vacations, shit like that. Gavin was thirty six, but he was still waiting for that desire for domestic shit to kick in. All he had was a picture of his cat when he first got her, a little kitten curled up on his shoulder. Was that sad? Gavin didn’t give a shit. “Hell no. You know that. I got enough on my plate right now.”

“How about Tina?” Dom suggested. He had met her a bunch of times over the years, holidays and work parties and birthday celebrations. He had long, long since stopped asking if the two of them were going to get together.

“Tina goes to her folks’ house every fourth,” Gavin said. He had gone with her a couple of times. The beer and hot dogs and shit were nice, Tina was always fun, her family was fine. Gavin always liked the excuse to wear a good pair of American flag shorts. He entertained the idea of skipping the wedding, saying he already had plans and asking to tag along with Tina again. But that would mean missing out on the opportunity to see his dad.

Fuck, going to a wedding alone was kind of depressing. But other than Tina, Gavin couldn’t think of who else to bring. He couldn’t exactly bring his cat to a wedding, so that was out. He doubted Chris would be willing or able to take a long weekend, not with his new baby and all that. He had been alright with Anderson and even Connor, recently, but not _that_ alright.

Just then, a cup of coffee was deposited in front of him. Gavin glanced at his phone; yep, it was exactly noon, though he wasn’t sure why he bothered confirming. His new partner - well, six months now, but still - brought him a fresh cup of coffee every two and a half hours to the minute, unless they were out in the field, of course, and even then, he still sometimes managed to stick to his schedule. Smothering bastard.

RK900 slipped into his seat at the desk opposite Gavin’s, barely acknowledging him as he began working away at his computer, LED spinning a slow and steady yellow. Gavin rolled his eyes and tucked his phone between his ear and shoulder, taking the coffee into his hands. RK900 refused to make it with any cream or sugar, so Gavin had gotten used to taking it black. “Look Dad,” he said, sipping the cup which was always somehow _just_ at the right temperature, “I don’t exactly have a lot of friends, alright? I might as well bring my fuckin’ boss. Hell, you guys would get along, I bet.”

“Come on, Gav. Think about how Michael is. That side of the family is so - _traditional._ ” Dom said it like it was the worst possible thing, but Gavin sort of agreed with that, to be honest. They had always seemd pretty closed-minded, easily offended. Nothing like his dad. Maybe a little like Gavin, but, he was getting better.

Dom continued, “It’ll be boring as all hell, trust me, I grew up with these people. Bring someone who you can stir up a little trouble with. I certainly wouldn’t mind the drama.”

“You’re a devious bastard, you know that right?” Gavin said, shaking his head in admiration. “I dream of being as rude as you are.”

“Just let me know what you decide to do so I can bring enough weed for all of us.”

RK900 was printing something out. Gavin put his cup of coffee down, frowning and listening to his dad chattering about his back problems and recent cruise to Alaska and the political cartoon he saw this morning, absently taking the paper that his partner was handing to him. Maybe it was a new case. Maybe it was important.

It was the department’s cell phone policy. Gavin raised his eyes from the paper up to RK900’s face. The android just looked at him passively, hands folded on the desk, like he was waiting patiently for something.

“Alright Dad, I’ll call you this weekend,” Gavin grumbled into the phone, tossing the paper back at RK900 with a scowl.

“Just RSVP with a plus one, Gavin. You can always figure it out later. I love you, son.”

RK900 was trying to hand him the paper again.

“Yeah, wise words,” Gavin said, batting his hand away. “Love you, Dad.” He tossed his phone onto the desk, focusing his attention on the annoying son of a bitch that was his partner. “Alright, alright, I’m done breakin’ the rules, Robocop.”

“That was your father,” RK900 stated.

“Yep, the one and only,” Gavin said. He leaned back in his chair, raising his coffee to his lips again. “Talking logistics for some family shit I gotta do in a couple of months. Cousin’s wedding. Really important shit, 900. Like, groundbreaking shit.”

“I am sure,” RK900 said, his hands still folded in front of him. “A wedding does not seem work-related.”

“Well, you’ve never been to one, so get off my dick,” Gavin said.

“You do not know that.”

“You’ve been to a wedding?” Gavin was surprised. “No fucking way you have. When?”

“As I said,” RK900 responded, and Gavin could swear he was smirking, that smug bastard, “you do not know.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Gavin muttered into his coffee, hiding his own smile.

He had warmed up to the android in recent months, especially once they started solving cases at the highest rate in the department. Sometimes he didn’t even mind shooting the shit with him, especially if there was nothing better to do. RK900 wasn’t really affected by anything - especially not Gavin’s insults. Gavin barely believed he was deviant sometimes, but there were little things about him. His odd sense of humor (if you could call it that), his interest in music (...if you could call it that). The way he stoically traded barbs with Gavin yet dutifully brought him endless cups of coffee. And yet, he processed the most disgusting, fucked up of crime scenes with no problem, no reaction at all. Gavin kind of envied that, as fucking bizarre as it all was. RK900 was tough as shit.

Gavin hadn’t always been a fan of androids, to put it mildly. While he had moved on, some people he knew certainly hadn’t. Good old cousin motherfucking Michael was one of them. Gavin couldn’t imagine Michael associating with androids in any type of way. There probably wouldn’t be any of them at the wedding. Just a bunch of stuck up, rich pricks spending their Fourth of July weekend licking each other’s assholes over how blessed they all were. Hell, he cared so little about these people, he hadn’t even known Michael’s relationship was that serious. He wondered if they even knew he had been working with an android for the last six months.

Gavin sat up straight in his chair.

“Hey, tin can,” Gavin said. He leaned forward like he was sharing some important information about a case, and RK900 mimicked him, listening as he always did. “You got plans over the Fourth of July?”

~

**RK900 Work**

**6:30 AM**

Good morning Detective. I need to acquire attire for Michael’s wedding as it would be  
inappropriate to wear my work uniform. My research shows there is a certain dress code  
for weddings but that each event is unique. I need you to tell me any important details.

**7:41 AM**

Whats with the interrogation god damn

**7:42 AM**

This shit isnt for like two months you got plenty of time

**7:42 AM**

Remind me like a week before so we know what the weathers gonna be like

**7:42 AM**

Your procrastination alarms me, but I will accept your experience on the matter.

**7:42 AM**

Did you submit our time off request?

**7:46 AM**

Shit

**7:48 AM**

I have now submitted it. There is a 70.3% chance that it will be approved.

**7:49 AM**

Fantastic. Wouldnt even give a shit if it wasn’t

**7:53 AM**

You make yourself pretty useful sometimes tin can

**7:53 AM**

Thank you. Have a productive day, Detective.

**7:53 AM**

Eat my ass it’s my day off

**7:54 AM**

I will add that to my task list.

**7:54 AM**

Lol you’re so fucking annoying

**8:03 AM**

See you tomorrow dickhead

~

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

Fowler pinched the bridge of his nose and gestured to the seat in front of him. “Sit down, Reed. Let’s cut to the chase here. I got your time off request. I also got a time off request from Detective RK900 for the exact same two days. Is that a coincidence?”

“Nope, uh, actually it’s not,” Gavin said, sipping at the coffee his partner had just given him. “He’s gonna come with me on a family - thing. Wedding. Thing.”

“A wedding,” Fowler repeated.

“If it makes you feel better, sir, you were my second choice to invite.”

“Thank you Reed, that alleviates all of my fucking concerns,” Fowler said, but he didn’t continue ranting, instead sitting back in his chair. “You know, a couple of months ago I probably would have denied both of your requests. It’s a tight weekend and it’s not too long ago you were both at each other’s throats. However…”

He regarded Gavin thoughtfully, leaving just a long enough pause to make him shift uncomfortably, before continuing, “This will be a decent opportunity for you two to continue building a strong relationship. That leads to better work together out in the field."

“Right, yeah, of course,” Gavin said, a little dumbstruck at Fowler’s easy approval.

“You’ve been putting in good work, Reed, both here and at home. You’re doing good. I see the change. Don’t forget who’s to thank for that.”

“Huh?” Gavin said intelligently.

“God dammit Reed, I’m approving you both. Now get out of my office.”

~

**Brave Little Toaster  
**

**1:46 PM**

Hey Connor, I got a favor to ask. I need someone to watch my cat and my usual girl isn’t available.  
Its nothing crazy just stop by a couple of times and feed her. July 4th weekend of my cousin's wedding

**1:46 pm**

Thoughts?

**1:46 pm**

Hello Gavin. I am unsure why you’re asking me, but I can do that.

**1:47 PM**

Thats cool man. Thanks

**1:48 PM**

That’s when we’re going to the wedding. Me and your bro

**1:48 PM**

Yes, I’ve already heard all about your cousin’s wedding. RK900 is looking forward to it.  
I can tell because he won't stop bringing it up even though I am already aware he is attending.

**1:48 PM**

See you back at the station, Detective.

~

“So what’s the plan, kiddo? You’re coming down on that Friday or Saturday?”

“No, we just took the weekend off,” Gavin said. He was kicked back on his fire escape, feet up on the railing, a cigarette between his fingers. “Traffic will be a bitch on Friday anyway.”

“Not heading our way, I’d think,” Dom said. Gavin could hear him puffing away at his own cigarette. “I suppose you already looked at the flights.”

“Yeah, it took forever to fuckin’ convince RK900 that flying was stupid. He wouldn’t stop looking up all these cheap ticket deals and sending me coupons and shit. Eventually I steered him towards the light of the self-driving rental car. I wanna be able to snooze in the car when I’m hungover on Sunday.” Gavin paused, admitting, “We’re just gonna split the cost. He actually did find a pretty good deal.”

“That’s nice, then he doesn’t have to worry about driving either.” Dom paused thoughtfully, probably taking a sip of his own drink.

“I bet he can’t even get hungover,” Gavin grumbled. “I’ve never seen him drink before."

“Well, android-friendly liquor is a pretty recent thing. I wonder if it’s any good.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem, he just… doesn’t seem like the type to wanna do it I guess.” He and RK900 had been spending a lot more time together since Gavin invited him to the wedding, but Gavin hadn't learned much more about him, just gotten a bunch of his suspicions about the android confirmed. Particularly that he was a stubborn, sarcastic prick with a stick up his plastic ass who Gavin actually didn't hate being around.

It had just started to feel inevitable that they should be around each other as much as possible, since they always seemed to have paperwork to finish, or someone to interview, or a new case to start investigating. Gavin had even crashed at RK900's place a couple of times when Fowler would kick them out of the office, unsympathetic to their pleas for just one more hour. Gavin felt weird about bringing RK900 to his apartment, for some reason - he hadn't brought anyone there in a long time - so off they would go to the android's surprisingly roomy one bedroom only a few blocks from the station. It worked out pretty good. It wasn't like they were friends or anything, they just had a lot of work to do.

“I suppose I’ll see once you two arrive. You should really try to come out on Friday night,” Dom was saying in a tone that clearly meant, _your ass better be here on Friday or you’re missing the fuck out._ “Hell, you could even come out on Thursday I bet. I’m flying into Indianapolis that afternoon. Laura’s got that big house she doesn’t know what to do with, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“We got work, Dad,” Gavin reminded him. “It’s hard to get time off. But thanks. I guess I’ll let you know,” he added, the best possible way to try to wrap up this particular thread of conversation.

“I’ll make sure two of the rooms are made up for you,” Dom said with a tone of finality. “Just in case.”

“Well, I don’t think RK900 needs a bed or anything. He just… you know. Blobs out in the corner or whatever.”

“Doesn’t that boy have a nickname?” Dom complained. “RK900 is a mouthful.”

“No, I dunno,” Gavin said absently. “That’s what he likes to be called I think.”

“Is that what you call him? Detective RK900?”

“Uh,” Gavin said, “not really. I talk to him like - you know, one of the guys I guess.”

“Well, he is. Androids have done a lot for this country. It’s about time they get some recognition. I like the idea of an android cop, at least they aren’t prejudiced or trigger happy.”

It had been something Gavin had observed over and over again. Even after going deviant androids didn’t commit hate crimes, didn’t abuse their authority. Not that Gavin ever saw or heard of at least. RK900 certainly never did, not with suspects or witnesses or anyone at all really. He could be a huge dick, but only to people who deserved it, at least in Gavin's eyes. It was kind of - nice. Not that RK900 was nice, but he was better at that shit than a lot of people Gavin knew of. Including Gavin himself.

“He’s going to be fine, Gav. Nobody’s gonna say anything offensive. Ignorant, maybe. The worst they’ll do is ignore him.”

“Nobody in their right mind would fuck with him,” Gavjn said confidently, but a part of him was relieved to hear his father’s assurance. It would be royally stupid for anyone to start shit with RK900, but Gavin didn’t exactly have that much trust in his family. Other than his dad, of course, who was more likely to try to adopt RK900 than insult him.

“If you change your mind about Friday, shoot me a text. It’d be nice to have the extra night.”

“Sure, Dad. I love you.”

“Love you too kid.” Dom paused, like he wanted to say something else, and then he hung up the phone.

~

**RK900 Work**

**6:30 AM**

Good morning Detective. One week remains until your cousin’s wedding.  
I need to acquire proper attire for the occasion.

**10:11 AM**

Alright alright

**10:11 AM**

I dont have shit to wear either

**10:11 AM**

Guess we gotta do a little shopping. Where you wanna go 

  


RK900 sent him the list of closest men’s wear stores, then another text: 

  


**10:11 AM**

I should mention that my research showed me 54% of men conducted their shopping online this past fiscal year.

**10:13 AM**

Fascinating. Meet me at the center square at 12 

**10:13 AM**

Is there a particular reason you prefer to do this in person?

**10:14 AM**

There’s a really good cupcake place on that block and I want one 

~

Gavin wasn’t exactly sure why he was doing this. He supposed it was for the same reason he had invited RK900 to this stupid wedding in the first place. Maybe he was a little curious about how RK900 spent his days off, how he functioned out in the real world. Maybe he felt a little bad that RK900 just stood in the corner of his depressing apartment every night.

Maybe Gavin was just bored. He didn’t have anything else planned for his day off, so he supposed this wasn’t that terrible. Like Fowler said, it was good for them to hang out, build a stronger relationship or whatever the fuck. Maybe this was what Gavin had been doing wrong with all his previous partners. Not that any of them had been able to stand Gavin for more than five seconds but, whatever.

“Have you _ever_ been to like, some fancy shit?” Gavin asked as they stood outside one of the street displays, looking at the different mannequins posed up in the window. The air was hot and sticky; no doubt it would be even worse at the wedding itself, which was being held outdoors at some dumb park. Gavin hoped it rained just because it would be kind of funny.

“I have been to Roberto’s,” RK900 said.

“The fuck, really? That’s that half-human, half-droid Italian place right? It’s like, fuckin’ impossible to get a table there.”

“Hank took Connor and myself there last month.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky.” He gave RK900 the side-eye, feeling a weird little stab of jealousy or something over the fact that Hank Anderson and Connor and RK900 were palling around and going to fancy restaurants and shit. Not that he wanted to join them or anything, it was just annoying. "And what did you wear then?"

"My work attire," RK900 said, his LED turning briefly yellow as he frowned. "It seemed practical, but Connor and Hank both informed me that was inappropriate. I make an effort to research these things beforehand now."

"Yeah, you need to be rocking like, a nice casual suit or something. But whatever you want is gonna look fine. Your plastic ass could show up in a Hawaiian shirt and still look better than everyone else there."

"Thank you for the suggestion," RK900 said. Still yellow, processing something.

"Come on, let’s get this shit done with so I can get my cupcakes.”

Connor and Hank followed each other around like a pair of dogs, but RK900 took off on his own as soon as they set foot inside the clothing store. He moved with complete purpose, as he always did, plucking a handful of black outfits off of the racks and striding back over to Gavin before he had barely zeroed in on the ties.

“I am going to the dressing room,” RK900 informed him.

“God damn, it’s like you’re a machine or something.”

RK900 stared at him. “You have finally noticed.”

“Whatever, go ahead.” Gavin watched him walking off, realizing RK900 hadn’t picked out a tie. He didn’t usually wear one anyway. Neither did Gavin. Why was he looking at these anyway?

Not even ten minutes later RK900 had reemerged, paid for his clothes, and then he was bearing down on Gavin, his crisp white shopping bag dangling casually from his hand. “Are you done?”

“Does it look like it? No,” Gavin said. “Are you?”

“Yes. I am ready to leave.”

Gavin wasn’t sure what he expected. It wasn’t like he wanted to bop around town shopping all day with RK900; that sounded stressful as fuck. He guessed he should’ve known his partner would finish so quickly, ready to move on to the next task.

“You can go,” Gavin said with a shrug. “I still wanna hit up that cupcake place. You gonna call a cab?”

“Yes.” RK900 frowned. “Suit yourself.”

“Ha.”

“That was not intentional,” RK900 said. His frown twitched to a more neutral position. “I will see you at the station tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you around tin can,” Gavin said with a nod as his partner left the store. RK900 was so fucking efficient. Gavin sighed. He should probably get his shit together at some point in his life, but here in this department store wasn’t the time or place.

He zoned out flipping through the racks until his phone rang. Gavin was sure it would be work, because of course he would get called in on his one day off, but luckily it was just Tina.

“Hey bud,” Gavin said into his phone. “How’s it goin?”

“I just left the precinct. Fucking overtime. What about you?”

“Shopping for this stupid wedding thing,” Gavin said.

“Ooh, I can’t believe that’s coming up so soon.” Tina began to laugh and wasn’t able to stop. “Sorry Gavin, but everything about this is hilarious.”

“It’s so dumb. So tacky. And on the Fourth of July of all things. So fucking hetero."

“What is 900 wearing?” Tina asked with interest once she calmed down. “Is it black?”

“Obviously.”

“What about you? You get a nice suit?”

“I was thinking I’d just wear those American flag shorts.”

“Cool, love that,” Tina said. “Get him a matching pair, you guys would look so cute.”

“Cute,” Gavin scoffed, instinctively looking towards the entrance to the store as someone walked in and - “The fuck?”

It was RK900, wearing a pair of sleek black sunglasses, obviously just purchased, and holding a small pink box. He approached Gavin purposefully, and for a second Gavin almost felt like a suspect getting apprehended, his mouth going dry for no reason whatsoever.

“I was kidding, don’t wear the shorts you fucking idiot.”

“Uh, gotta go, see you tomorrow,” Gavin said quickly, hanging up the phone before Tina could say anything else. “What’s up asshole?”

“Cupcakes,” RK900 said simply. “To save you time on your trip home.”

“You - these are expensive!” Gavin protested, snatching the box out of his hands all the same. “You didn’t even ask what kind I wanted.”

“You mentioned this particular bakery before,” RK900 said. “Your exact words were, _the peanut butter one fucking bangs._ ”

“Yeah, true,” Gavin agreed with a surprised laugh at his partner’s words, popping open the box like a kid on Christmas.

“I decided to purchase an assortment of flavors,” RK900 said. “In case you were not interested in the peanut butter.”

“Dude, there’s like six of those shits in here!” Gavin said as if RK900 didn’t know. He gazed into the box, packed tight with a half dozen brightly colored, generously frosted cupcakes. “Shit, you didn’t - I mean, thanks asshole, but like, how much was this shit? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“It is a thank you gift, for the wedding invitation,” RK900 said. “You’re welcome.”

“No, RK900, it’s fine - “

“Accept the cupcakes, Detective,” RK900 said. “Now you have plenty of time to shop, which you clearly need as you have made little progress since my departure.”

“Look, this is a big decision, alright?” Gavin handed the box back to RK900, a nice warm feeling in his chest, like a cup of black coffee. He cleared his throat and turned back toward the rack, an odd laugh escaping from him as he held up two shirts. “Blue or green?”

RK900’s LED turned, like he was really considering it. Then he gestured back towards the rack, where in the sea of other colors, a bright shirt peeked out, like a little sliver of sunlight. “Yellow.”

“Buddy, yellow is not my color.”

“I am not sure,” RK900 said. “There is no reason not to try it. I like it,” he added, a rare phrase for him.

“You’re the one who dresses exclusively in black like the vampire you are.” Gavin ignored the yellow one and draped a couple of other colors over his arm, trying not to overthink it. “Whatever, I just wanna get this over with.”

“It appears you need my assistance holding your cupcakes while you complete your shopping.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Gavin said.

Gavin hesitated before stepping away from the rack. On second thought, he reached out and grabbed the shirt RK900 had pointed out. It was actually pretty nice, a loose linen button down with sleeves he could roll up to his elbows. He put it over his arm with the others and moved on to the pants, RK900 following behind.

~

Gavin bought the yellow shirt, but it wasn't because RK900 said he liked it or anything stupid like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [You drive me crazy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OMaHIZlP0Y)


	2. My loneliness is killing me

**RK900**

**7:13 PM**

The cupcakes were all good as fuck. PB is still king tho

**7:14 PM**

The carrot cake one was surprisingly good

**7:14 PM**

My apologies. Your text brings me to the conclusion that you have already consumed all six cupcakes, which would be quite irresponsible.  


**7:16 PM**

Look.

**7:16 PM**

You’re the one who bought me fucking six of them. I was only going to get one

**7:16 PM**

I believe I'm suffering a software malfunction.  


**7:16 PM**

Sounds like a personal problem  


~

The week before the fourth was so fucking insane that Gavin actually found himself looking forward to the wedding, which made him realize how fucking crazy he was going. He loved his job, but some cases were exhausting, and this was one of them. A cold case cracked open with new evidence - it was fucking amazing, but involved a whirlwind of fresh interviews, hours and hours spent in the evidence room, two hours of sleep in the same amount of days, and then, an overnight stakeout on that Wednesday which led to Gavin chasing down a suspect. And catching him, of course, with RK900’s backup. Of course.

The result was that by Thursday evening, Gavin felt completely insane, all strung out on the adrenaline of the chase, along with the mountain of paperwork that followed. RK900 had always been a huge help with both aspects of the job, but it was still a lot, it always was. Gavin didn't exactly have a lot of time to unwind. He didn't have anyone to come home to, anyone to talk to, really, other than his dad and Tina, and RK900, he supposed. They were spending more time than ever together, but Gavin wasn't exactly dying to unload all of his trauma to his partner right before they were stuck together for a whole weekend.  


By six pm, Gavin was hunched over his desk, taking a break from typing to nurse the coffee RK900 had brought him a while back. He desperately wanted another cigarette, but didn’t have the energy to go downstairs yet. Instead he just leaned on his elbow and glanced over at RK900, his LED flickering as he worked.

“Ready for this weekend?” Gavin asked.

“Detective, if we work quietly and efficiently, we will have this paperwork completed tonight and we will be able to review the Walker case.”

“That’s Anderson’s case,” Gavin said. “We don’t gotta worry about that shit.”

“Connor shared some of the files with me. It was quite interesting,” RK900 said, keeping his eyes on the computer. “Objectively we are the best detectives on the force. Therefore I expect we could be of assistance.”

“Alright, alright, no need to state the obvious,” Gavin said with a grin. Couldn’t argue with that one. “Damn, what are they gonna do without us this weekend?”

“I expect we’ll manage,” said Fowler from behind him.

“Now that our friend Davis is booked,” Gavin clucked with a satisfied sigh, leaning back in his chair as their boss approached, looking as stressed as ever. “All thanks to us.”

“You did good work, Reed, the both of you,” Fowler said, rubbing his head with a pinched look on his face. “How much longer on the report?”

“We should have the paperwork completed no later than eight o’clock pm this evening,” RK900 supplied. He had stopped working to sit and give his full attention to Fowler, prompting Gavin to do the same. “I would like to request access to the Walker files. Lieutenant Anderson asked us to look over them.”

“Leave it until Monday,” Fowler said. “And take tomorrow off, both of you. As long as the Davis report gets finished tonight.”   


“Sir, we can examine the Walker case in our spare time this weekend,” RK900 pressed.

“We’ll have time to go over the files on the drive there and back,” Gavin added. “And did you just say  _ take tomorrow off? _ Are you okay?”

“I cannot believe I am fucking saying this,” Fowler said, full on rubbing his temples now with his eyes closed. “Take the goddamn three day weekend. Do not call me, do not text me, do not email me, do not  _ test  _ me until Monday morning. And if I hear from Connor that you asked him for the reports, I’ll write you all up for insubordination. Happy fourth of July you two.”

And with that, Fowler left the station. Gavin and RK900 both stared after him, then slowly turned to face each other, Gavin still a little dumbstruck.   


“Close your mouth Reed,” RK900 said, snapping him out of it.

“We don’t need to take tomorrow off,” Gavin grumbled as he returned to his computer. “We got plenty of work we can do.”

This time, it was RK900 who sat still, watching him. “My calculations tell me you have not had three days off in a row in nearly two years.”

“Sounds about right.”

The android hummed thoughtfully. “In that case, I agree with Fowler that it would be best to take the day.”

“We don’t really have to leave until Saturday morning,” Gavin reminded him, but even as the words came, he thought about his Dad’s constant nagging about trying to drive out on Friday instead. “We have shit to do,” Gavin repeated, but it came out weaker than he intended.   


“Considering weather and traffic patterns, the optimal departure time would be between one and one thirty pm,” RK900 said matter of factly. “Considering Detective Reed patterns, you have likely not yet begun to pack for the weekend and will need several hours in the morning to prepare. Therefore my conclusion is that we should take the day off tomorrow.”

“Why do I always get the feeling that you’re making fun of me,” Gavin said. He knocked back the last of his coffee and frowned, thinking about the duffel bag he had been pretending to pack for like two days now. “Fuck it.”

“What, specifically?”

“Everything,” Gavin said. “Let’s just leave tomorrow.”

RK900 pursed his lips together in what might have been a smile, or the closest he would venture to one. “What a brilliant suggestion, Detective.”

“Alright smartass, let’s finish this god damn paperwork and get out of here.”

~

With the Davis case closed and his duffel bag finally stuffed full of shit he definitely wouldn’t need, Gavin readied for the trip with a weird mix of excitement and dread. It felt good, in its way, to know he could get a couple of days to clear his head from all the work bullshit. He was stoked to see his dad, that was for sure. The rest of the family… not so much. His aunt Laura wasn’t that bad, who they would be staying with. Gavin didn’t really know her that well. He didn’t really know any of them, honestly. Even his dad only flew out for big events like this nowadays. They had all gone their separate ways, all on their separate little paths.

As their rental car zipped down the highway, Gavin kicked back in his seat, eating all the M&Ms out of a bag of trail mix. It was pretty nice not to have to worry about driving, even if he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the car. Usually if he was feeling tired or lazy, he would just make RK900 drive, but today they didn’t even have to think about that. Gavin was feeling pretty generous, and he let RK900 pick the music for a while.

It didn’t last that long. RK900 liked to listen to the same songs over and over, and after hearing the same thirty year old pop song twice in a row, Gavin just made him shuffle one of Gavin’s random playlists. Over the months he had slowly added some of the songs RK900 liked, since they spent plenty of time driving around together. RK900 still got his Britney Spears fix every dozen songs or so. Fucking androids and their old school pop tunes. He wondered if Connor had the same unabashedly stupid taste in music. A taste which Gavin occasionally and regrettably shared, not that he would admit it aloud.

“What would happen if Connor left the force?” Gavin asked around a mouthful of cashew-dusted chocolate.

RK900 thought for a moment. “Lieutenant Anderson would be assigned another partner at some point, if he had not yet made the decision to retire. Some of their cases would likely be given to us, to lighten the load on Hank, as well as - “

“No, I don’t give a shit about Hank,” Gavin interrupted him. “Not in this scenario at least. What about you? Would you leave too?”

“Would I resign because Connor resigned?” RK900 was frowning. “I see no reason to make such a decision.”

“I dunno, you guys are like, pretty close. Like brothers, sort of. Just curious.”

“While Connor did recommend me for the job, he is not the reason I am there. We were both designed for police work,” RK900 said, considering. “The deviation virus does allow a deeper spectrum of choices based on the given situation and our current emotions. Even still, it does follow both logically that we would continue to follow the easiest route in our programming.”

“You were forced to deviate, though,” Gavin said, remembering what Fowler had told him when they first got partnered together. RK900 had occasionally brought it up, but it wasn’t exactly something they really talked about.

“Yes, I was.” He didn’t offer anything else, but Gavin couldn’t help himself.

“So, what does that mean exactly? Like is that why you act different from Connor?”

“I act differently than Connor because I am not Connor,” RK900 said sudden and quick, as close to defensive as Gavin had ever truly seen him.

“Okay… I fucking realize that dumbass,” Gavin said hotly. “You’re not even the same model. It’s like me and my cousins. We went through different experiences and shit so we’re all totally different people from each other. Same family, but we didn’t all turn out the same because we all dealt with our own bullshit in life. You know?”

RK900’s LED flickered between blue and yellow and back again. “Human genetics are quite dissimilar to android programming.”

“Alright, whatever. Just listen to Britney and maybe you’ll calm down.”

“I am calm,” RK900 said.

“Yeah, well, I’m freaking the fuck out,” Gavin said, annoyed.

“I have a solution.”

Gavin couldn’t help it, he perked up a little bit, hoping RK900 would suggest they could spare the time to pull over so he could smoke a cigarette, or that Gavin could bust open the bottle of Jack he had brought with him, or any other one of a million pretty good ideas RK900 often had. “Okay, hit me.”

“Just listen to Britney and maybe you will calm down,” RK900 said.

“You know what, I’m fucking leaving you at the next rest stop,” Gavin muttered, sinking back down in his seat with a groan. He could swear RK900 was smiling. 

~

As the sky darkened and the highway turned into a two-lane country road, Gavin leaned his head against the window and dozed off, waking up occasionally with a start to see how close they were. He shot his father a text as they drew closer, frowning as his fingers tapped across the screen.

“We are about fifteen minutes away,” RK900 supplied.

“Uh huh,” Gavin muttered. “It’s kinda getting late for dinner, maybe we’ll get takeout or something. I’m fucking starving.”

“You have trail mix left,” RK900 pointed out.

“I ate all the good parts, I don’t want it anymore.”

RK900 just sat quietly, letting Gavin stew in his annoyance, no doubt on purpose. Gavin couldn’t wait to have a fucking cigarette.

When they finally pulled up in front of the house, Dom was waiting on the front porch for them, because of course he was. He stood and waved as the rental car drifted down the driveway, and Gavin rolled his window down and did the same.

“Welcome to the party!” Dom called out, a cigarette of his own dangling from his fingers.

Gavin couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his father as the car came to a stop, and then he realized RK900 was eyeing him.

“What?”

“That is your father,” RK900 said.

“Yep, of course,” Gavin said.

“I see the resemblance in your smile. You look very alike.”

“Uh, cool, thanks I guess,” Gavin said, a little surprised. “I think so too but not a lot of people say that. Anyway, he’s been dying to meet you and ask you all types of fucked up questions so like, fair warning.”

“I expected as much. The resemblance strengthens.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Gavin said, reaching for the door handle with a cigarette already in his mouth. “Let’s get the hell out of this car and start drinking.”

~

Predictably, Dom liked RK900 right away, in all his no nonsense, matter of fact, dry as fuck glory. He asked a few blunt questions, but RK900 didn’t seem to mind. He thoroughly investigated the house, giving Gavin and his dad some time to catch up alone, though Gavin wasn’t sure if the gesture was intentional. Eventually Gavin ordered some Thai food off of one of his apps and they ate standing at the kitchen counter, drinking cheap beer and shooting the shit.   


“Where’s Aunt Laura at?” Gavin asked after a while, realizing he hadn’t seen her yet. "She come up with some excuse to get out of this shitshow?"  


“She’s gone until the tenth. Alaskan cruise,” Dom said proudly.   


“Oh, jesus here we go.”

“Don’t worry Gavin, I’ll spare you both the lecture,” Dom said with a wave of his hand. “But I’m just saying, if you’re looking to go on vacation, do something a little different. Fuck going to the Bahamas, fuck going to Florida, fuck going to Paris. Go on an Alaskan cruise. You won’t regret it!”

“He’s been on like twelve of them,” Gavin told RK900, cracking open another beer.

“There must be some value to the trip, if you have undertaken it so many times,” RK900 said diplomatically. “I am curious to hear more.”

“I’m gonna go smoke,” Gavin complained as RK900 fully invested himself in the cruise conversation with a very enthusiastic Dom. “Thanks for corrupting my partner Dad.”

It was later on, when RK900 was helping to load the dishwasher, that Dom said to Gavin in a low voice, “I like him.”

“I had a feeling you would,” Gavin said. He nodded towards the android who had now begun methodically wiping down the kitchen counters. “You should tell him that. Not a lot of people do.”

“Do you? Tell him?”

“Who said I liked him?” Gavin grumbled. “I mean, he’s alright. We get along better than we used to.”

“You’re bringing him to a wedding,” Dom said. “Sounds like a good friend to me.”

“Look, I gotta spend like sixty hours a week with this guy as it is. What’s another couple of days. And,” Gavin added in an increasingly incredulous tone, “you’re the one who told me to stir up some drama, so like, who better than an android who doesn’t give a fuck?”

“Oh, Gavin,” Dom said with a sigh. “You know what would really turn people’s heads? If you actually showed up to one of these things with an actual date. Like… a committed relationship. Not that I know much about those.”

“Whatever Dad, you’re a free spirit. You can’t get tied down,” Gavin said. “Me, I got too much shit going on at the station. I barely got time to wipe my own ass. It’s just not in the cards right now.”

"I just, you know, think about how you're doing," Dom said. "But everything happens for a reason, eh? Maybe you'll meet someone at work!"

“Company policy,” Gavin said. He was distracted by RK900, who was examining something on the kitchen counter, his LED spinning yellow in confusion.

“Don’t shit where you eat,” Dom continued, oblivious. “Unless the food is really, really good.”

“Dad, please stop talking.” Gavin strode towards the kitchen, catching RK900’s eye. “What are you messing around with in here?”

Face passive, RK900 held up a plastic bag full of weed and a green glass pipe. “Is this yours, Detective?”

“God dammit Dad, are you sixteen years old? Why the hell do you keep your shit in a ziploc bag?”

“This is marijuana,” RK900 said.

“It was legalized like, twenty years ago dumbass,” Gavin said.

“Company policy states - “

“You two sure are hung up on company policy, eh?” Dom said jovially. He held out his hand and RK900 reluctantly handed over the goods. “Let’s smoke a joint.”

“Reed,” RK900 said, LED a solid yellow ring as he stared Gavin down.

“Relax, buddy. I haven’t been piss tested in years and it’s not like you’re gonna smoke any. Fowler doesn’t give a fuck what we do on our own time. Just look at Hank and Connor,” he added with a smirk.

“Coworkers of yours, right?” Dom said as he settled at the kitchen counter and started rolling. “I recall you mentioning them before.”

“Yeah, they’re definitely fucking,” Gavin said conversationally, relishing the look of near-horror on RK900’s face. That was a new expression. “But nobody gives a shit. And I god damn guarantee Fowler tokes up every night just to keep his blood pressure down anyway. Lots of rebels in the DPD, Dad.”

“I can see that,” Dom said with a laugh, licking the paper closed and holding the joint up triumphantly. “Let’s step outside boys.”

Gavin had half-expected RK900 to stay inside out of sheer protest, but he joined them on the porch, sitting next to Dom on the swing while Gavin leaned against the railing. “I can’t believe you give such a big shit about this RK900.”

“God fucking damn!” Dom said as he blew out a cloud of smoke and handed the joint over to Gavin. “That’s the good stuff.”

They smoked for a little bit, RK900 watching them pass the joint back and forth. Gavin started to feel a little hazy and gooey, like everything was softening around him. His dad’s laugh and RK900’s serious face both seemed infinitely funnier in the darkness of the porch. They talked shit about cousin Michael for a while, filling in RK900 on a bunch of old stories, all the near-fights and actual fights and passive aggressive social media call-outs, until Gavin and Dom were laughing hysterically and RK900 was leaning forward on the swing, listening with a curious, tiny little smile.

“I feel like a real asshole not offering this to you, RK. 900. RK900. Fuck,” Dom said, waving the joint around in the air empathically. “You ever consider a nickname or something?”

“Your son usually calls me dumbass.”

“Gavin!” Dom said, wounded. “That’s no way to talk to him. I thought you said he was one of the guys.”

“He is,” Gavin protested. RK900 gave him a strange look.

“To be fair,” his partner said, “he also occasionally refers to me as smartass.”

“That’s true,” Gavin said. “I mean, you are a smartass, but that’s not the point. That’s how I talk to everyone Dad. You know that.”

“But RK900 is so polite,” Dom said. “No need to be rude.”

“It does not bother me, Dominick,” RK900 assured him in that calm voice he reserved for hysterical witnesses. “I am quite used to Gavin’s behavior by now.”

“Whoa,” Gavin said after a second, staring at him. “You never call me that.”

“Would you prefer I call you dumbass?”

“I would!” Dom said enthusiastically.

“I should’ve known,” Gavin muttered as Dom clapped RK900 on the shoulder, laughing. “I’ve been replaced.”

“Don’t worry Gavin, you’re still the best son I’ve ever had.”

“I’m the only son you’ve ever had…”

“You are the best partner I have ever had,” RK900 said, earning a side hug from Dom, a sight which made Gavin laugh despite himself.

“I’m your only partner - you know what, fuck both of you,” Gavin said, snatching the joint back and taking a long pull. “You’re in cahoots. I need another beer.”

The three of them hung out on the porch much longer than Gavin expected. Dom disappeared into the house and then reappeared with a pack of super old playing cards, dealing them all out on the little glass table outside. Gavin kept track on his phone as RK900 crushed both of them at Gin Rummy four times in a row, because of course he fucking would. Dom rolled another joint. Gavin drank another beer. Or two. Or more. He wasn’t sure, exactly.

Eventually RK900’s firm voice came, not bragging over his absurd skill at cards, but reminding them it was past midnight. Gavin and Dom both hemmed and hawed and gave RK900 shit over it, which of course didn’t faze him in the slightest.

“One more game,” Gavin finally challenged, his cigarette dangling from his lips, meeting RK900’s eyes over the table.

There was a haze of smoke and beer all around him, making the dim light of the porch fuzzy around the edges. RK900’s LED was bright blue, his mouth pursed smugly, flicking his cards between his fingers. It was funny, seeing him like this, almost - relaxed. Without the LED he could have been just another dude. But RK900 would never be just another dude, not with his bitchy attitude and mischievous smirk and inexplicably long eyelashes that Gavin was just noticing him look up through, his gaze dark and daring.

Why the hell would they make RK900 like this? Or - did he make himself like this?

He looked at Gavin, and Gavin looked back, and RK900’s LED spun yellow, just for a moment. He then glanced at Dom, who shrugged, looking between them and finishing his beer.

“One more,” RK900 finally said. Gavin grinned. Dom cleared his throat.

“Well, I’m gonna turn in,” Dom announced, clapping his hands on his knees and then hauling himself to his feet. “We got more partying to do tomorrow.”

“Dad, come on, let’s play another hand. You were all about it a second ago.”

“This old man is wiped out,” Dom said. He gave Gavin a hug, rumpling up his hair as he pulled away. “Stay up for a while, we don’t have to be over to the park til three.”

“I mean - “ Gavin hesitated, then, for some reason. He was drunk and stoned and with his partner and his dad and it was  _ nice.  _ It was  _ fun,  _ Gavin couldn’t believe he was actually thinking that. Actually think that he could stay up for hours getting his ass kicked at gin rummy. That RK900 would wanna do that too. Without the buffer of his father, Gavin suddenly felt self conscious, a little awkward, maybe drunker than he thought.

“Maybe we should turn in too,” Gavin said a shrug. “Don’t wanna feel too shitty tomorrow.”

“I agree, Detective,” RK900 said promptly, already tidying the table and grabbing some of Gavin’s empty beer cans. Gavin had wondered if RK900 would be the one to argue, to say he wanted to just keep bullshitting for a while. Would Gavin change his mind, if that was the case?   


Dom sighed and turned off, dismissing them with a shrug. “Oookay then, see you two in the morning. I’m staying upstairs so, take the bedrooms down here by the kitchen.”

He retreated back into the house, the screen door slamming behind him, leaving Gavin and RK900 alone on the porch.

“You are quite intoxicated Reed,” RK900 said, almost chastising.

“Yeah, spare me the lecture, Robocop,” Gavin grinned. He dragged on the last of his cigarette. “This is just a warm up for tomorrow.”

"Your father is very personable," RK900 said, then added, “If the rest of your family is like him, I believe this event will be enjoyable.”

“Yeah, they’re not,” Gavin said, smiling a little bit at his words. He stubbed his smoke out in the ashtray. “They’re more like me. Bunch of assholes.” He strode towards the door, not looking to see if RK900 was behind him, just knowing that he was.

They finished cleaning up in the kitchen, recycling the empty cans and leaving Dom’s weed shit on the counter, and then Gavin was making his way down the hallway, eyes already heavy, RK900’s hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

“Take this one,” RK900 said, pushing open a door, and there it was, a big bed with a nice matching bed set, the corners all tucked in. It was tidy and impersonal, a room people didn’t usually stay in.

“What if I don’t like it here,” Gavin said petulantly, turning around to face RK900.

“There is a couch in the next room,” RK900 said without an ounce of sympathy. But he did toss Gavin’s bag into the room, which was a surprise. When did he grab that bag? What made him think to do that?

“You’re always doing that,” Gavin muttered, giving his bag a halfhearted push with his foot, finally glancing back up at RK900. He looked amused, almost.

“Throwing your things on the ground?” he said with a little quirk of his lips.

“Doing nice shit,” Gavin said. He pointed his finger accusingly at RK900 to emphasize his point, planting his feet and bracing against the doorway. “You pretend not to care about shit but deep down… you care about shit. You know?”

“Perhaps you are a bad influence on me,” RK900 said matter of factly.   


“Whatever, goodnight smartass,” Gavin muttered. He found himself looking away from his partner’s face.   


“Goodnight, dumbass,” and then RK900 turned away, disappearing into the door directly across from Gavin’s bedroom, and Gavin had to laugh, standing alone in the doorway as his brain grew fuzzy and warm, and then he closed his door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Hit me baby one more time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4&feature=youtu.be)


	3. So baby I hope that you came prepared

Gavin woke up just before his 11 am alarm. He felt fucking amazing, full of the energy that always came after a long night of drinking beers. He showered and shaved and used his aunt’s fancy moisturizers, then changed into a pair of joggers, padding out of the bathroom as he dried his hair and chest with his towel.

"Morning, son," Dom said from his place at the kitchen counter. He had on a tiny pair of glasses, squinting at his phone and swiping through his photos. RK900 sat next to him, looking over his shoulder, glancing up at Gavin as he entered the room. His LED turned yellow for a second, then back to blue. Probably scanning all his vital signs like the nosy fucker he was. Both he and Dom were fully dressed, looking like they had been up for hours.

"Morning, kiddos," Gavin said. “You guys bonding again?"

“Of course," Dom said. "Coffee? RK900 made some.”

"Fucking yes," Gavin said. He rustled around in the cabinet until he found a suitably large mug, then poured himself a cup. He opened up the fridge - Laura had half and half, almond milk, two types of creamer. Gavin considered them all, then closed the door. He was used to his black coffee now. “Everybody ready for today?"

“Oh,” Dom said mischievously, putting down his phone and glancing at RK900 with a pointed look. "We're ready.”

“Alright, what the hell does that mean," Gavin said with a frown. “Spill, RK900.”

"Nothing of concern," RK900 said, and for a fucking second Gavin was sure he had rolled his eyes. “Your father and I ran errands this morning. He insisted on purchasing a thirium-based alchohol for me to consume at the wedding.”

“Dude,” Gavin said. “You trying to get my android drunk?”

“Your android,” Dom and RK900 said at the same time, with varying degrees of amusement.

“Okay, you’re not _mine_ , but you’re my partner, I’m supposed to be lookin out for you. Fowler would like, literally beat my ass if something happened to you.”

“Well, both of us are gonna be imbibing pretty heavily,” Dom said, clapping RK900 on the back. “Seems only fair RK here gets to partake.”

“Oh, so you’ve got a nickname now.”

“Yes,” RK900 said.

“Well… what does it taste like?” Gavin asked. “Is it like vodka? Or wine? Or beer? Is it sweet? Is it sour? Is it - “

“Calm yourself, I have yet to try it,” RK900 said. “It is not even noon.”

“The bottle says it’s imitation thirium gin,” Dom said. “Gin and tonics seemed like a good drink of choice for RK.”

“Do they make thirium tonic too?” Gavin wondered. “Also, that is so fucking accurate.”

“I thought so,” Dom said proudly. “And… well, no, they don’t, not yet at least. So he can just drink the gin. But that’s perfectly fine.”

“Okay, Dad, you got me all types of fucked up over this. You bought him, an android who has never drank alcohol before, a bottle of gin to just, what, carry around at the wedding? And do shots of fucking _gin_? You don’t think that sounds a little fucking weird?”

“No,” Dom said. “I bought him a flask too.”

“You know what,” Gavin said, “I need a cigarette.”

~

Once Gavin and Dom had some breakfast and RK900 got caught up on their work emails, the three of them parted ways to get dressed. Gavin hummed as he got ready, realizing all too late that it was another fucking Britney Spears song stuck in his head. Whatever, nothing wrong with the classics, he supposed. He really was spending way too much time around RK900. He gathered up his shit and got changed, looking at himself into the little guest room mirror.

Gavin had always taken pride in his appearance, maybe a little too much pride. He ate like shit most of the time, drank constantly and smoked like a chimney, but he would gladly admit he still looked pretty fuckin’ good, by some insane stroke of luck. He usually dressed alright, nice jeans, a good shirt, a good leather jacket, but that was it. Spending ten hours a day running around Detroit or sitting at his desk didn’t exactly call for much. It felt a little off, but also pretty god damned good, to dress up nice, white pants, that yellow shirt rolled up to his elbows, new sunglasses. He slipped on his watch, a gift from his dad a few years back, grabbed his jacket and shoes, and traipsed out into the hallway.

He only took a step or two before he heard his father and his partner talking in the kitchen, and Gavin paused for a second, eavesdropping.

“You look fine,” Dom was saying, “just a little - dark. Won’t you get too hot?”

“I adjust my systems as needed. Temperature is not a concern,” RK900 said.

“Must be nice. I can’t wear black in the summer without sweating like a pig in church. Especially if we’re standing outside all day.”

“Your outfit is very flattering for a man of your age and body type,” RK900 said. “I like your socks.”

Oh no.

“They have a lot of pizzazz, don’t they? You know, socks can really make an outfit.”

“That is good to know. I have been cataloguing all of your advice. It has been very interesting.”

“Aren’t you sweet,” Dom said just as Gavin appeared, rolling his eyes. Dom was sitting at the kitchen counter, with RK900 standing across from him. “Isn’t he sweet?”

“No,” Gavin said.

“Oh, look at you though!” Dom said over him, ignoring his son’s dismissal. “You look nice Gavin!”

“So do you, Dad,” Gavin said. He meant it, too. “I dig the shirt.”

“Thanks son,” Dom said brightly, smoothing his hands over his chest. It was a short-sleeved, red and white floral button up, pretty well-fitted over Dom’s little beer belly. Dom had always been a snappy dresser, Gavin had to admit.

“What do you think RK900?” Gavin said, putting his shades on and leaning against the fridge. “Is my outfit flattering for a man of my age and body type?”

“Yes,” RK900 said, LED as yellow as Gavin’s shirt. “It is flattering.”

“You look you’re goin to a fuckin funeral,” Gavin said, not that he was mad about it. RK900 was in a slim black suit, a black button down underneath his black jacket, buttoned all the way up to his neck. He had his shades on already too, the ones he had bought when they went shopping together. It wasn’t too far out of the realm of how his partner usually dressed, but he looked good, more handsome than usual, not that Gavin usually thought he looked handsome or whatever.

“My research showed black is perfectly appropriate for a wedding,” RK900 stated.

“It certainly is, and don’t worry, a funeral may end up being involved with the way our family parties,” Dom assured him. “But don’t you want a little pop of color? Your LED is an interesting feature, you should play it up.”

“He can wear whatever he wants Dad,” Gavin said.

“Of course he can, it was just a suggestion.”

“I appreciate your constructive criticism,” RK900 said, his lips pursed, thinking. “I will accept it. What do you suggest I do?”

Dom clapped his hands together and leapt from his seat. “I have just the thing. Well, things.”

“Don’t peer pressure my android,” Gavin muttered as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“He’s not your android!” Dom called out as he disappeared upstairs, leaving the two of them alone to stare at each other.

“You look different, Detective,” RK900 said, face impassive behind his sunglasses. “Those bright colors suit you well.”

“Thanks, prick. I don’t usually do shit like this so, I dunno. At least we both clean up pretty good.”

Dom reappeared with an armful of items and dumped them on the kitchen counter, nearly knocking over Gavin’s beer in the process. “You don’t have to wear all of these, nor should you, but see if you like anything.”

It was all blue and yellow stuff, ties and bow ties, hats, socks, necklaces and watches. “Damn Dad, you brought all this shit here?”

“You know me, I already changed four times,” Dom said. “What do you think, RK?”

RK900 took off his sunglasses, and then apparently on second thought, popped them on top of his head. He frowned as he perused the items. This was different than when they had gone shopping together. This time he took his time, considering each object with care. Maybe because it was Dom’s things. Gavin stepped back, leaned against the fridge and sipped his beer, watching over the top of his shades. Dom seemed delighted as RK900 put a couple of things to the side, and then looked up, his LED blue again.

“I have decided,” he said.

“Let me see,” Gavin said before his father could talk RK into a bolo tie. “Yellow pocket square, nice, that’s distinguished shit right there. Silver watch, good, goes with your eyes.”

“And the socks,” RK900 said, pointing at them. They were a solid bright blue.

He glanced at Dom, who pointed to his own socks, a pair of red white and blue patterned ones, on point as fuck for the wedding. “Couldn’t resist.”

“That’s Dad’s signature look,” Gavin told RK900. “Obnoxious socks.”

“They really pull an outfit together, I can tell you that,” Dom said. “You good, RK? Want me to put the rest of this stuff upstairs?”

Gavin wasn’t sure why, but when his father left the room, he stepped forward to help RK900 with the new additions to his outfit. He folded the handkerchief, solid yellow, and tucked it into RK900’s breast pocket. He put on the watch, on his right wrist. And then he reached up and undid a couple buttons on RK900’s shirt, quickly, before he could think about how fucking weird he was being. RK900 didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t care enough to say anything. He pulled off his black socks, wiggling his bare feet on the tile for a second before pulling the blue ones on, two little spots of color at the bottom of his long dark legs.

“Roll your sleeves up,” Gavin told him, and RK900 actually listened.

Gavin stepped back to admire his handiwork. If RK900’s LED hadn’t been spinning yellow in his temple, he would look like - a guy. A pretty decent looking guy, actually. Gavin almost wanted to send a pic to Tina showing him off.

Six months ago Gavin would have stepped away and said something else, something insulting about RK900’s ugly ass. But six months ago he would have laughed hysterically and _maybe_ punched somebody if they suggested he’d actively choose to hang out with an android. This android, in particular.

“You look really fuckin good, RK,” Gavin said, and he meant it. He adjusted his pocket square again, suddenly full of fidgety nervous energy. “Yeah. Really good. You’ll be mopping the floor with everybody else there.”

“Figuratively, I presume.”

“Don’t be an ass,” Gavin said with a little laugh. “Trying to give you a fucking compliment, dumbass."

"What an interesting development," RK900 said.

They stood there at the kitchen counter looking at each other for one super fucking weird moment where Gavin wasn’t sure what the hell either of them were about to say, and then Dom burst back downstairs.

“Let me see - oh, hell yeah!” he exclaimed. “Look at you! Doesn’t he look handsome?”

And then RK900 did something really bizarre - he smiled, an actual real smile, not a small sarcastic quirk of his lips, or a mocking grin he sometimes used on suspects. He actually looked happy. Fuck, he looked really good when he smiled.

What the hell? Gavin put his beer down. He needed more coffee.

“Yeah,” Gavin finally said. “Something like that.”

~

Within the hour they were in the autocab on their way to the wedding, and Gavin’s father pulled out a bottle of tequila from absolutely nowhere.

Gavin groaned. “Dad, we are not doing tequila shots in our rental car.”

“Come on, Gav!” Dom said encouragingly. “Since when are you the responsible one?”

“ _I_ am the responsible one,” RK900 said. “And I believe we should do shots.”

“Holy fuck,” Gavin said. “You put on my dad’s socks and you turn into a different dude.”

“It is a practical idea,” RK900 said calmly. “You have both talked extensively of the stress this event is about to cause you, as well as boasted of your ability to consume alcohol. I would also like to sample this thirium gin before I am in a public place.”

“Alright, well, damn,” Gavin said. His partner was pretty much right, as usual. “Whaddaya think? You’re gonna have a sip of that shit and start going off?”

“I am unsure how it will affect me.”

“Don’t worry son, we’ll keep an eye on you,” Dom said. “Or at least, Gavin will, as I am likely to black out.”

“I can’t babysit you both,” Gavin complained, even though his dad was just being dramatic. Dom was way more likely to start crying and hugging everybody and then wanna leave early to get Burger King. “Okay you pair of hooligans, we’re doing one shot. Each.”

Dom handed a flask to RK900, a small one encased in black leather, small enough to fit in his pocket. Gavin still couldn’t believe his dad had bought that for him - or given him his socks - or kept calling him _son._ Dom was friendly, but he was really laying it thick on RK900. He must have really liked the guy. Gavin wouldn’t admit how relieved he was at that. Hell, he wouldn’t admit that he was relieved at all. He hadn’t cared whether anybody liked RK900, that was why he brought him to this shit in the first place. Right?

“Here, you two toast first,” Dom said, tossing the bottle of tequila to Gavin before reaching in his pocket for his phone. “I didn’t bring a flask for us, sorry kid.”

“It’s cool,” Gavin said, surprising himself with the answer. “It’s an open bar, yeah? We can always sneak back to the car later.” He rolled the golden bottle in his hands for a moment, then looked up and met RK900’s eyes. “Okay, one shot, each.”

“One shot,” RK900 agreed with a little twist of his mouth, and Gavin was grinning right back.

They each knocked one back to the _click_ of Dom’s phone camera going off.

“Just capturing the moment,” Dom said innocently.

There was a long, expectant pause where both Gavin and Dom watched RK900, his LED turning from blue to a whirling yellow, his lips pursed, a slight frown on his face as he analyzed the gin.

“I like this,” he finally declared. “I want another.”

“Oh, shit,” Gavin groaned, but he was grinning. It was kind of cool to hear RK900 say shit like that. I like, I want.

“Fantastic,” Dom said sagely. “Now, let me see that tequila.”

~

Dom had insisted they be right on time, so at 3:01 on the dot they rolled up to the parking lot, a sea of autocabs coming and going. Gavin could see the lake through the trees, and then the park nearby, decorated with strings of red and white and blue lights and banners, gold stars hung everywhere, two American flags planted at the entrance to the park. Oh god, this was going to be so fucking tacky.

“What a display of patriotism,” Dom said as they got out of the car. “I didn’t know cousin Michael was so.... American.”

“I don’t know shit about cousin Michael anymore I guess,” Gavin said, joining his dad in lighting a cigarette as they walked. “I didn’t even know him and Annie were that serious.”

Dom said, “The two of them are pretty different. I wonder what brought them together. Maybe their shared love of the flag."

“Well, fuckin god works in mysterious ways I guess,” Gavin said with a shrug.

“She sure does,” Dom agreed. “You never know, your soulmate could be out there Gavin! Maybe even attending this wedding!”

“Oh, shut the fuck up Dad,” Gavin said around his cigarette. “RK, tell him to shut up.”

“I will do no such thing,” RK900 said. “However, your personal life has never been a topic of discussion before and I do not intend to begin now.”

“Good answer,” Gavin smirked. “Glad you’re on my side.”

“That is not what I said.”

“So diplomatic, you should be a politician RK,” Dom said. There were some other people entering the park, but Gavin didn’t recognize anybody, not yet at least. “Some androids are entering the mid-term race. That is something I’d like to see.”

“You’re probably the only one here who would say that, Dad,” Gavin said, watching as some middle aged man walking his dog glanced RK900 over, seeing his LED and then turning to probably his wife, whispering in her ear. “Other than me,” he quickly added. “I guess.”

“You’re a changed man, Gav,” Dom said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you. RK is a good influence.”

“He didn’t influence shit,” Gavin lied. “Whatever, I wanna finish this smoke before we actually get to the party.”

Once they got into the park, it was fucking crazy. There were tons of kids running around with sparklers, picnic tables set up with vases of overflowering sunflowers, and on the edge of the whole thing, a half dozen tables where a bunch of old people were playing beer pong. It was all obnoxious, loud, and over the top, and as they made their way to the open bar under the canopy, Dom telling RK900 about Margie’s funeral-turned-fistfight, Gavin realized he actually... really didn’t mind it.

“Who else do you think is here that’s chill, Dad?” Gavin asked while they waited. He recognized some people, random distant ass cousins or friends of the family, people you greet with a smile and nod and not much else.

“Who knows,” Dom said with a shrug. “I think your uncle Ray is in jail, so he’s not here, I know that much.”

“Cool,” Gavin said as they collected their drinks, a beer each, served in a red solo cup. Classy. “So… now what?"

“I understand that traditionally seating is assigned,” RK900 said.

“Usually, that’s true,” Dom said. “But they’re doing a buffet style thing, we can just stand around or sit wherever.” Dom elbowed Gavin lightly, giving him a significant look. “Look, you know we gotta rip the band aid off.”

“What the fuck do you mean,” Gavin said.

“What band aid?” RK900 inquired. “Are you injured Detective?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb you two,” Dom said, sipping his beer pointedly. “Making the rounds, saying hello. Better to get it out the way now.”

“God dammit,” Gavin said with a sigh. He looked at RK900. “Honestly, now would be a good time to take a fuckin’ shot dude.”

LED turning, RK900 pulled his flask from his pocket and took a drink.

~

“Jackson, good to see you,” Dom said to the man they had run into by the guestbook. “Hope business is booming.”

“I can’t wait to fucking retire,” the man said, shaking Dom’s hand.

“Boys, this is Michael’s boss,” Dom said, gesturing between them. “Not sure if you’ve ever met, but this is my son Gavin, and his partner RK900.”

The casual way Dom introduced him, saying his full name like it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary - which it wasn’t, right? - it made Gavin fight back a little smile. To his credit, Jackson shook both of their hands without blinking an eye, and even engaged RK900 in conversation, asking about his occupation.

“I was designed as an military combat unit,” RK900 explained to the silver-haired man. “I now work with Gavin at the Detroit Police Department.”

Jackson nodded sagely. “I’ve worked with my husband for nearly ten years now. Drives me crazy but it’s nice to have somebody who gets it. Anyway, I’d stay and chat but I have phone calls to make, it never ends…”

Dom and Jackson said their goodbyes and as the man turned off, Gavin noticed RK900 was frowning again.

“What’s the problem smartass?”

“Gavin,” Dom scolded.

“My apologies,” RK900 said. “I was cataloguing information.”

“What’d I say,” Gavin said. “He is a smartass.”

~

“William, Diana! So nice to see you and the kids,” Dom said, giving handshakes all around, including to the Lee’s two daughters. They were distant cousins, connected by some marriage or another. Gavin couldn’t remember much about them, but what he _definitely_ remembered was that they had an android nanny when the girls were growing up. He had never met her, she had never come to an event before and he doubted she was here now. She had probably deviated and run off. He wondered what they thought about androids now, what they thought about RK900.

“Gavin, good to see you,” Diana said brightly. “Excuse me, _Detective_ Gavin.”

“Eh, I’m just Gavin right now,” he said. “Good to see you too. This is my partner, RK900.”

“Wow, it has been a while! How long have you been together?” Diana asked.

“Uh, ‘bout nine or ten months now?” Gavin glanced at RK900, whose LED turned yellow for one instant.

“Nine months and three weeks, tomorrow,” RK900 provided.

“How come you can’t remember our anniversary like that,” Diana said, elbowing her husband good-naturedly. “Just kidding, I can’t either.”

“I bet Kelly knows it,” one of the girls said. “Kelly knows everything.”

“That’s true,” William said. “Too bad she couldn’t come, she would’ve liked to meet you two after all this time.”

“She’s in Japan right now,” Diana said. “She loves to travel.”

Was Kelly their nanny? She had to be. Gavin and RK900 exchanged a look, and while Dom began excitedly talking about his recent Alaskan cruise, Gavin leaned in closer to his partner, muttering, “I think Kelly is the android they used to own.”

“She deviated during the revolution?” RK900 asked with interest.

“Yeah, my dad told me about it, but I wasn’t sure what happened to her,” Gavin said. “Guess they still hang out.”

“It can be difficult to abandon relationships after deviating,” RK900 said. “Those connections are never destroyed, they can actually be strengthened. For example, Connor and Lieutenant Anderson.”

Gavin disguised his ugly laugh behind a cough, thumping on his chest. “Sorry, they’re just kind of funny together.”

“I believe they are perfectly suited both professionally and personally,” RK900 said in that even, diplomatic voice.

“Dad, I’m thirsty,” one of the Lee daughters complained, tugging on RK900’s sleeve for some reason while she looked expectantly at her father. “Can we all go get something?”

“Well, RK900 and the Reeds have other people to say hello to, honey,” William said. “So we’re going to say, see you soon.”

They bid their goodbyes for now, and Gavin turned to Dom with wide eyes. “Dad, I’m thirsty.”

“Well, let’s get another beer then,” Dom said with a laugh, clapping Gavin on the shoulder, and off they went.

~

As the next half an hour wore on, they ran into more and more people, especially as the last of the guests arrived. Cousins Gavin hadn’t seen since college, a couple of great uncles, the grandmas playing beer pong. And much to Gavin’s utter surprise, hardly anyone made a big deal about RK900 being there, at least not to his face. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as Gavin had thought it would be. Some people didn’t seem to know exactly what to talk about with him, but most of them made as much of an effort with Gavin as they did with his partner.

And that was the other thing, everyone was asking RK900 how long he and Gavin had been together, which Gavin thought was kind of a weird way of putting it, but whatever. Sometimes they asked how the two of them had met, which Gavin thought was pretty fuckin’ obvious, since they had been assigned to work together. But hell, most of them probably had no clue how police departments worked anyway. Gavin chalked it all up to the beer that was freely flowing, keg after keg of PBR consumed before the wedding itself even began.

It was only when they ran into Francine, Gavin’s wrinkled great aunt dripping in jewelry, that he realized what was going on. She was already wasted, with another cup of beer in her hand, and she gave each of the three men two big kisses on the cheeks.

“Francine, lovely as always, and you remember my son Gavin,” Dom said, gripping his shoulder, then turning to RK900 and similarly patting him on the back, “and this is his partner, RK900.”

“Oh, aren’t you just a _snack,_ ” Francine said delightedly, squeezing RK900’s arm. He frowned. Gavin grinned into his solo cup, his third one, feeling loose and relaxed. “You’re one lucky man, Gavin! I would snatch him right up!”

“Uhhh…” Gavin slowly lowered his cup, glancing at his father while RK900’s LED whirled red and stayed that way. “Aunt Francine…”

“How did you two meet? Online? That’s how I met my boyfriend. He’s around here somewhere. You know, he’s much younger, he’s a yoga teacher - “

“We met at work, we met at work,” Gavin interrupted, clearing his throat and pointedly not looking at RK900. “We _work_ together. He is my work _partner._ We’re both detectives. Company policy. Not that, you know, that’s what’s stopping us. There’s nothing to stop.” He paused, then said again for emphasis, “We just work together.

“Oh, well, that’s nice too,” Aunt Francine said, her face falling for a second before brightening again. “Rules were meant to be broken though, am I right Dom? Am I right?”

“Friends and family, please gather in the center of the park, the ceremony will begin in five minutes,” a voice came, broadcasted over some speaker in the canopy, and Dom seized upon the opportunity at once.

“Nice to catch up Francine, we’ll see you at the reception, I think that’s our cousin Gary over there, I’m sure he’d love to sit with you…”

He guided Gavin and RK900 away, and together they walked towards the middle of the park with everyone else.

Gavin chugged the rest of his beer and finally managed to say, “Um, Dad, what the fuck was that.”

“Francine is just drunk and confused,” Dom said breezily. “Don’t worry yourself over it too much.”

“I think… she thought… oh, fuck,” Gavin groaned. He scrubbed a hand over his face, refusing to look at RK900 as a weird, fluttering, dizzying feeling swooped all up and down his insides. Suddenly everybody’s weird comments and questions made sense. They thought RK900 was his partner, like, _life partner._

Oh fucking lord, he really needed a cigarette.

“I believe there was a misunderstanding,” RK900 said, his LED shifting back to a yellow-blue flicker now that he was out of Francine’s grasp.

“Uh, no shit Sherlock!” Gavin exclaimed.

“Perhaps I should be introduced with another title.”

“You know the fucking weirdest thing about this,” Gavin said, waving his arms around, “if that’s what they thought, nobody even made a big deal about it!”

“You sound disappointed, son,” Dom said, amused.

“No - ! I just thought they were more uptight than this I guess, I don’t know.”

”Well, you know as well as anybody that people can change.”

Music started playing from somewhere. There were some chairs set up in a crescent shape, but a lot of people were standing. The park sloped down towards the nearby lake, and at the bottom of the slight hill was a little archway, decorated with sunflowers and, of course, little American flags waving in the wind.

“You can just tell them I am your coworker,” RK900 said as they found a spot. “To avoid confusion.”

“But you’re not _just_ my coworker,” Gavin said in exasperation. “You’re my fuckin’ partner.”

“Shh!” Dom shushed, putting a finger to his lips as the music grew louder and the wedding began.

~

Not for the first time in his life, Gavin thanked god he and Michael weren’t close. Because if this had been, like, Tina’s wedding for example, he would’ve been pretty fucking pissed that he was ignoring the wedding ceremony because he couldn’t stop thinking about the android standing next to him.

Partner, partner, partner. What the hell? Why was Gavin making this so weird? It was funny, it was a misunderstanding and it was _funny_ , or at least it would have been if the idea of Gavin and RK900 together had offended his family or gotten a rise out of them. But no, they had been totally cool with it, it being something that wasn’t even true. Gavin still needed a cigarette.

Was RK900 even interested in relationships? Not with Gavin, of course, but generally speaking. Connor was, clearly. Androids could get married, to each other or humans, but Gavin had just.. never seen RK900 as someone who would have the time or patience for something like that. He worked just as much as Gavin did, more actually if he was being honest. He went home to his little apartment and did whatever he did. He went into stasis alone. And that was his life. Seemed pretty fucking familiar.

Did RK900 want anything more than that? He had been built for one thing, their job, but so had Connor, hadn’t he? Wasn’t that what it meant to be deviant, to figure out your own shit and live your life how you wanted to? Hell, that wasn’t easy to do even if you weren’t an android. It definitely wasn’t easy for Gavin.

Oh shit, they were exchanging vows. Annie looked really pretty. Michael was crying. Gavin was not listening. Gavin was thinking about how he never thought he’d end up in a serious relationship in his life, and now everybody here thought he was committed to an android. Maybe that was a little bit depressing for some reason. Not that being in a relationship with an android was depressing, Gavin was sure it was fine and everything. It was just probably normal to think about your love life or lack thereof when you were at a wedding. Gavin wondered if RK900 was thinking about the same thing.

Dom was openly sobbing. RK900 offered him the yellow handkerchief from his pocket.

~

Michael and Annie were kissing; everyone was clapping; music was playing and then it was over. The wedding party disappeared to take pictures, everyone else rushed off to get in line at the bar, and Gavin stood by a tree with RK900, finally lighting up a cigarette.

“What a lovely wedding,” Dom said enthusiastically, dabbing the last of his tears away. “These things always get me choked up. What did you think, RK?”

“It was interesting,” RK900 said.

“Interesting,” Gavin snorted as he took another drag of his cigarette. Of course he’d say that.

“I have observed that outward displays of emotion are not usually socially acceptable,” RK900 said. “So yes, it is interesting to attend an event where such a thing is encouraged.”

“Don’t worry about socially acceptable, RK,” Dom said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Emotions are healthy!”

“Ugh,” Gavin said.

“Yes Gavin, we know, feelings aren’t your thing,” Dom said, elbowing RK900 knowingly as if they were in on some shared joke. “Let’s get in line before Francine drinks the rest of the beer.”

~

The rest of the night passed in a blur. Champagne and cheering when Michael and Annie showed back up, speeches by a bunch of people Gavin didn’t know very well, more crying from Dom, more drinking. The buffet was ready, and Gavin just filled his plate with mac and cheese, much to RK900’s disapproval, and they bickered over Gavin’s horrible diet, making Dom laugh. It was... nice. Everyone was rowdy and happy, the sun was shining, RK900 was smiling, and Gavin actually wasn’t hating this. Not at all. He wasn’t hating this at all.

~

After the sky grew dark and Dom took about a hundred pictures of the sun setting over the lake, the party continued on, old school pop blasting over the speakers as everyone congregated on the makeshift dance floor. Gavin had to make a conscious decision to stop drinking champagne and switch back to beer. He felt great, drunk but not tired or confused, eating more food whenever he started to feel too wild, dancing with his father while RK900 was drawn into another conversation with Jackson, sipping on his flask as Jackson waved around a bottle of red wine.

Suddenly, someone was cutting in, planting a big kiss on Dom’s cheek, and then pulling Gavin into a hug.

“Annie!” Dom roared, still shuffling in the middle of the crowd. “Congrats my dear, it was fantastic.”

“Thanks, Dom,” Annie said, her eyes sparkling. “Love the outfit. Did you guys get a cupcake? My sister made them. Gavin, you look great!”

“It was really nice, Annie,” Gavin said, feeling an overwhelming wave of affection for his family that totally came out of nowhere. “Where’s your new husband? Making a powerpoint presentation?”

“You know him so well,” she said with a long-suffering sigh. “You know how he is. He planned almost the whole shebang. My girlfriends were so surprised we didn’t just turn it all over to a wedding planner.”

“It certainly was patriotic,” Dom said.

“Well, my parents got married on this day too and totally went all out, so I just thought it would be funny,” Annie laughed. “Michael wanted an outdoor wedding, so, we compromised. I really want him to see you guys, but he’s actually probably drunk in the porta potty.”

“You know, you must have really lightened him up,” Gavin said, remembering all the times as teenagers when Michael refused to drink or smoke pot because he had homework to do. Of course, that was like twenty years ago, but in Gavin’s personal experience, some things never changed.

“I always just liked spending time with him, was what it really comes down to,” Annie said, sipping her champagne as she danced next to Dom, smiling wistfully. “If you find someone you vibe with, who respects you, that’s worth hanging on to. And now I’m stuck with him _and_ the stick up his ass. But you know what, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Beautifully stated, Annie,” Dom said.

"Francine told me you have a new man!" Annie said, lightly bumping Gavin in the shoulder. "And that he's really cute!"

"Oh, he's around here somewhere," Gavin said, quickly adding, "but he's not, uh, we're not dating. He's my - work. Coworker. Partner. You know, detectives and everything."

"Right, okay, my bad," Annie said. "Sorry, she just said you looked really happy together. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I should go find my husband!” She said the word with delight, gave them both another hug, and then whisked off, her white dress like a beacon through the rest of the guests, everyone whooping as she passed.

“They’ll have a great life together,” Dom said, dabbing at his face again with the handkerchief. “I can always tell.”

“Hey Dad,” Gavin said, glancing towards the tables, “I think I’m gonna go find RK900.”

~

Almost everyone was concentrated under the canopies dancing, or sitting at the picnic tables, or back to their beer pong games. A handful of stragglers were hanging out by the altar, but RK900 wasn’t in any of those places. Gavin took another sip from his beer and walked further away from the party, along the lakefront, glancing around. He was sure he would be able to spot RK900 from a mile away, and eventually he saw it, a little flash of blue light at the end of the dock nearby. There were a bunch of lanterns set up along the water, and Gavin followed them, lighting another cigarette as he made his way down the dock and met RK900 at its end.

“Hey,” he said.

“This is a very pleasing view,” RK900 said, looking out over the water. He said taken off his jacket and had it slung over his shoulder. His hair was ruffled up. He looked relaxed, for once.

“How’s that gin treating you?” Gavin asked. “Having fun?”

“Yes,” RK900 said. “I believe I am feeling its effects.”

“Good,” Gavin said, pleased RK900 was enjoying it. This had been a way more positive experience that Gavin had thought. He realized how relieved he was that they actually had a good time.

“I am glad you invited me,” RK900 said, turning to face him. “This has been an experience unlike any I’ve had before.”

“Yeah, me too dude,” Gavin said with a laugh. He felt a little fuzzy, talking to RK900. “This was a lot different than I expected. I definitely thought it was gonna be weird as fuck and everything was gonna go wrong and it was gonna rain. But it was actually cool.”

“I hope it doesn’t rain,” RK900 said. “I heard that is bad luck.”

“Eh, I don’t think it really means anything to be honest. Just superstitious. Plenty of people get together in all types of weather and it doesn’t work out. Depends on the people.”

“I suppose that is true,” RK900 acknowledged.

“Didn’t think you believed in that stuff,” Gavin said. He finished his cigarette and decided, fuck it, he wanted another one. He pulled his pack out again, lighting a fresh smoke off the end of his old one, studying RK900 through the smoke that trailed up into the air between them. There were clouds covering the stars, but the moon occasionally peeked out, making RK900’s eyes look bright and silvery.

“I certainly believe in it, in some capacity,” RK900 said, watching Gavin. “We have made many coincidences go in our favor as we have worked together. Many small decisions can drastically impact a course of events. There were many steps that led to my assignment as your partner, for example. If any one of them had been altered, we would not be standing here. So yes, I do believe in luck. Especially good luck, as I am experiencing it at this very moment.”

“You must be drunk,” Gavin said, a little weakly. “You’re talking a lot.”

“You must be drunk,” RK900 said. He stepped closer. “You are smoking a lot.”

Then he reached forward and plucked the cigarette from Gavin’s fingers just as he had raised it to his mouth. Gavin stared slack-jawed as RK900 brought the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag, his eyes closing, LED turning yellow.

Then RK900 exhaled, opened his eyes, and handed the cigarette back to Gavin.

“Did you seriously just _smoke_?” Gavin asked, appalled and a little impressed.

“It would be quite hypocritical of you to criticize me.”

“No, just, isn’t that gonna fuck up your systems or something?”

“Gavin, I am a state of the art investigation model, able to withstand nearly all conditions. I can process one drag of a cigarette.”

“Yeah, you know what, if you can withstand my family, you can withstand anything,” Gavin said. He liked that RK900 was calling him by his first name now, instead of constantly addressing him as ‘detective’. He felt strange bringing the cigarette back to his lips, his mouth going where RK900’s had just been. He had looked good smoking, his jacket slung over his shoulder, that perpetual little smirk on his face made more prominent by all the booze.

“Your family is surprisingly personable,” RK900 said, leaning in like he was sharing a secret with Gavin. “Even your aunt Francine.”

“Yeah, I was worried you’d run off with her,” Gavin said with a laugh, taking another drag of his cigarette and wondering whether he should offer it to RK900 again.

RK900 was smiling. “I am not interested.”

“But you could be, in somebody,” Gavin said, his mouth suddenly dry, wondering why the fuck he sounded so curious. He couldn’t help it. He took a sip of his beer, biting the edge of the plastic as he held the cup to his mouth and watched RK900’s LED turn between blue and yellow. He was looking at Gavin too.

“I could be,” RK900 said. “I could be very interested.”

Neither of them moved. Gavin kept his cup pressed to his mouth, but didn’t say anything. It had grown dark again, the moon hidden by the clouds again, RK900’s eyes shadowy as they stood there and looked at each other. The wedding party raged on further back in the park. Gavin was confused. Did he want to go back there or not? And what did RK900 want? Gavin had the really, really weird feeling that RK900 was analyzing him, deciding what he was going to do next.

Gavin felt something on his face, then, and he reached up to touch his cheek. It was wet. Gavin looked up into the sky just as the rain began to fall. RK900 held his hand out, frowning, and the sound of the drops hitting the lake became a droning roar as the rain began to come down in sudden sheets.

“God dammit,” Gavin said, unable to stop himself from laughing, and then, much to his surprise, RK900 was laughing too, shaking his head as they got instantly and unavoidably soaked. “How’s that good luck working out for you, asshole?”

“Very well so far,” RK900 said, smiling wide, looking drunk and happy and flushed in the rain. “I believe we should go back.”

“Let’s go to the car, it’s closer,” Gavin said, and together they made their way back down the dock and through the park. Gavin braced himself against the rain, but sometime along their trip to the car, RK900 threw his jacket around Gavin’s shoulders, and that made all the difference.

~

It seemed everyone else had the same idea, finally realizing what time it was and that they should be getting home, escaping to their cars through the rain. Gavin had figured that once they were sitting dry in the autocab, he would text his father and ask where he was at. But much to their surprise, Dom was already sitting in the car, nursing the bottle of tequila.

“Dad, you beat us here,” Gavin said as they slipped inside. He kept RK900’s jacket around him as he warmed his hands over the heater.

“Oh, I was already inside the car when the rain started,” Dom said, gesturing pointedly with the tequila. “I needed a little pick me up.”

“Good timing,” Gavin said. “Guess we should wait this out.” He bumped RK900’s knee with his own. “Still got anything in that flask?”

“I am nearly out,” RK900 said. “But I believe I am sufficiently intoxicated.”

“Me too,” Dom complained. “I’m hungry. The party’s winding down anyway, nobody's gonna care if we hit the road. Let’s go get some food, eh? There’s gotta be some good grub around here.”

“I ate so much mac and cheese,” Gavin said. “I think I’m dead.”

RK900’s LED was flickering yellow. Gavin had the weird urge to reach out and touch it, and he decided to do it, pressing his index finger to the center of the flashing ring on RK900’s temple. His skin was damp from the rain, and oddly warm. The storm came down all around them, cocooning them in the car. 

“What are you calculating in there, tin can?” Gavin asked, poking the LED once more before drawing his hand away.

“There is a White Castle just over two miles from our location,” RK900 said, that secretive little smile on his face again. “I imagine that is information your father would like to know.”

“See, he’s just too good,” Dom said appreciatively. “Androids really are perfect, aren’t they?”

“Nah,” Gavin said, pinching his finger and thumb together, still feeling the whirring warmth of RK900’s skin against his fingertip, thinking this was the best day he'd had in a while. “Just this one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Circus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVhJ_A8XUgc)


	4. I wanna hear you say the words

Gavin had a serious fucking problem.

“I can’t stop eating them,” Gavin moaned, holding a cheeseburger in each hand. “Somebody just kill me.”

“I believe I would receive my first disciplinary for such a thing,” RK900 said. He pointedly sipped on the thirium slushie Gavin had bought him.

Dom was washing down his onion rings with tequila. “Gavin’s been written up dozen of times, haven’t you son?”

“Hey, fuck you Dad,” Gavin said with his mouth full. “But yeah, I have.”

“You have not received one since we began working together,” RK900 said. He patted Gavin’s leg appreciatively, leaving his palm on Gavin’s knee as he leaned forward, saying secretively to Dom, “It must be all the coffee.”

Gavin pretended that he was too busy eating to snipe back. He chewed very, very slowly, watching his father and his partner chuckling at Gavin’s expense.

Yeah, Gavin had a pretty big fucking problem, and it wasn’t that he was getting made fun of, he didn’t give a shit. It wasn’t the Crave Case Dom had talked him into ordering. It wasn’t that he desperately needed a cigarette but couldn’t smoke in the rental car. It _definitely_ wasn’t that he was drunk. He was glad he was drunk. In fact, he was sure he wasn’t drunk enough, not for the shit he was thinking about right now.

No, his big old motherfucking problem was about six feet tall and looked real good in a pair of blue socks. RK900 lounged in his seat, undeniably intoxicated, far more relaxed than Gavin had _ever_ seen him. He looked _good_ , his shirt clinging to his chest, hair damp and curling over his ears. He was laughing at something Dom was talking about. Since when had RK900 started _laughing_? Gavin was sure he had never heard it before this night. It was something he definitely, absolutely would have remembered. The first time he had ever heard it was standing with RK900 at the end of the dock as the rain interrupted - something.

It had been something, right?

Gavin had no fucking idea what was happening. He could almost chalk this all up to being drunk. Drunk, and maybe a little bit lonely. Maybe. Not that he would ever say that shit to anybody. But fuck, he had spent half the wedding wondering if RK900 was lonely too. If he _wanted_ something more. Something else. Not necessarily with Gavin or anything, but. Generally speaking.

He was capable of that, right? Maybe he was just choosing _not_ to be interested in that stuff. Like Gavin was. He didn’t have the time or the patience for a relationship. He had been fine on his own for a while, keeping it casual, handfuls of hookups and fuck buddies over the years. Nobody serious enough to ever… introduce to his father, for example.

Fuck, was he stupid? Was he really stupid? RK900 didn’t want a relationship with him. And Gavin didn’t want a relationship with RK900! How did you even date an android? How did you even date, period? And being with a coworker was another thing entirely. Hank and Connor seemed to manage it, and hell, they lived together on top of everything else. Don't shit where you eat, his dad had said. Unless the food is really, really good...

Gavin watched RK900 sipping on his slushie, cheekbones all hollowed out, lips pursed around his straw. God dammit. He didn’t even know why he was thinking about it. He was just drunk as fuck. He always got flirty and horny when he got drunk, that was all. He hadn’t been laid in a while, RK900 was _objectively speaking_ a very, very, _very_ fucking attractive person, he was annoying and funny and interesting and his _laugh._ It was only natural to be thinking about it. Not that he was thinking about _it._ It, being RK900 undressing, peeling off his black suit, moving over Gavin with that stupid wicked smile on his face - which Gavin was not thinking about!

Gavin sipped from the bottle of water RK900 had insisted on getting, and he kept thinking. And yeah, he was thinking about _it._ It being the realization that the dizzy twist in his guts wasn’t all the beer and junk food he had consumed, but the feeling that he was a thirty six year old man who thought RK900 was… really fucking cute. Oh christ, he needed another drink.

Blessedly, his phone pinged with a text from Connor. Gavin wasn’t sure he had ever been stoked to get a text message from fucking Connor before, but he welcomed the distraction.

**Brave Little Toaster**

**9:02 pm**

Good evening Detective. I apologize for the late text but I feel I should update  
you on Lulu’s well being. She has attacked my shoes each time I enter the apartment  
and she bit my hand when I tried to pet her yesterday. She seems happy and healthy.

**9:03 pm**

Lol sounds about right

**9:03 pm**

Thanks again or whatever

**9:04 pm**

We just left the wedding

**9:05 pm**

I hope it was enjoyable.

**9:06 pm**

Yea it was fun and your bro is drunk as hell

**9:06 pm**

My dad bought him some android gin bullshit. He said it was good. You should try it out

**9:06 pm**

I’m glad he’s having fun.

**9:06 pm**

It was important to RK900 that your father approve of him.

**9:07 pm**

What you mean

**9:07 pm**

I think he would prefer I don’t say.

**9:07 pm**

RK900 doesnt care about shit like that tho

**9:07 pm**

Why wouldn’t my dad approve of him??

**9:07 pm**

Good night Detective.

**9:07 pm**

Wtf

**9:08 pm**

I am going into stasis now. Good night.

“What’s the matter, Gavin? Forgot how to read again?” Dom said sympathetically, and RK900 laughed, which made Gavin look up from scowling at his phone.

“I will remember that one,” RK900 said, no doubt adding it to his Sassing-Gavin-Reed folder.

“No, just your prick brother getting harassed by my cat,” Gavin grumbled. “She bit him.”

“Connor has a love for all animals but he is…” RK900 paused, frowning a little bit. He looked so cute it hurt. “He is a dog person,” he finally concluded.

“I was too, until Gavin got Lulu! I miss that cat more than you sometimes,” Dom said.

“Thanks Dad."

“She’s a good kitty. RK, you’ve met her right? She’s so smart.”

“I have seen pictures,” RK900 said, glancing at Gavin.

“You haven’t - I thought this man was your best friend,” Dom said, looking wounded on RK900’s behalf.

“He’s not!” Gavin said defensively. “I mean - he is - but - not like that. He’s never been to my place - nobody has - whatever, it doesn’t matter! Yeah, Lulu is the fucking best. We can agree on that shit at least.”

“She must be, what, fifteen now?” Dom asked. “You got her around your twenty first.”

“Yeah, she’ll be sixteen in November,” Gavin said. “That’s my ride or die right there.”

“You’ll meet her, RK900,” Dom said with a tone of finality. “Don’t worry.”

“Yeah,” Gavin said, taking another bite of his burger with a little shrug, like he didn’t care either way. “Maybe.”

~

Eventually the car rolled up on its way to the house, and Gavin felt even loopier than before. He felt like he had sobered up a little bit, pulled out of his feelings enough to just enjoy bantering with RK900 instead of spiraling into a sexual panic. Gavin was just being sociable. Just a dude, being a good friend to another friend. _Just a friend._ Referring to RK900 as his friend was a whole other revelation in itself, but fuck it, Gavin could take that small step, at least.

“I’m pretty drunk, but, I dunno,” Gavin said as the car parked and Dom began gathering their trash. It was still raining, though not as torrential a downpour as before. “Don’t wanna go to sleep yet.”

“I feel quite energetic,” RK900 said. “Is this normal?”

“Nothing about you is normal,” Gavin said, and RK900 smiled. That fucking asshole.

They made a mad dash for the house through the rain, and Dom disappeared inside to throw their trash out and grab a couple of towels. They dried off the best they could outside under the covered porch. It was warm and breezy out, the hot summer storm droning on slow and steady around them as Dom pulled out his pack of smokes and popped one in his mouth, his towel hanging around his neck.

Dom’s face was red from all the drinking and crying he had done, but his eyes were bright and awake, so Gavin was surprised when he glanced between the two of them and said far too casually, “I have to say, I was looking forward to getting high, but now that we’re here I’m feeling pretty pooped.”

“Oh, come on Dad!” Gavin said, lighting a cigarette too, finally. “Let’s have a nightcap, smoke a joint, maybe play some more cards or something.”

“I would like that,” RK900 said firmly.

“You’ll fall asleep easier if you smoke a little bit, too,” Gavin continued.

“Marijuana can cause drowsiness,” RK900 said.

“Right,” Gavin said, pointing at him in agreement. “Don’t you want to spend time with your new friend RK900? Don’t you want to spend time with your son? Your only son, who you see once every six months because he’s just so busy trying to make you proud - “

“He hasn’t had three days off in a row in nearly two years,” RK900 picked up. “In six hundred and seven days, to be precise.”

“Six hundred days, Dad!”

“Alright, alright, no need to come at me,” Dom said with a great sigh. “You make a convincing team. Gavin, my stuff is in the drawer in the kitchen.”

When Gavin came back out onto the porch with the weed and another beer, Dom was sitting in the wicker chair by the railing, and RK900 was on the porch swing. Gavin flopped down next to him, tossing the cards and his dad’s bag onto the glass table. “Wanna roll one, Dad? You know I’m no good at it.”

“Sure, let me just finish this,” Dom said, holding up another lit cigarette. “Or you could pack my bowl that’s around here somewhere.”

“I will do it,” RK900 said. His LED was yellow.

“Do what?” Gavin asked dumbly.

“Roll a joint,” RK900 said. The _duh_ afterwards was unspoken.

“And _smoke it?”_

“I can process it without issue, but I doubt it will have any effect,” RK900 said.

“What happened to company policy, huh?” Gavin elbowed RK900 playfully, unable to stop himself.

“While my decision making seems to be affected by the gin… it is true that the policy does not, specifically, state that I cannot do such a thing,” RK900 said.

“Interesting,” Gavin said. “I’ve never read it.”

“You’re lying,” RK900 said, almost disapproving, or was he teasing him? His LED was still flickering yellow as he glanced at Gavin before leaning forward to assess what was on the table. “Excuse me Detective, I have a very important task to complete.”

“Yeah Gavin, stop distracting him,” Dom said in a supportive voice. He was looking down at his phone, distracted himself, scrolling through his photos from the wedding. “I got some nice shots of you two.”

Gavin brushed them both off and kept talking. “You done this before? Or can you just like, download a how-to?”

“I can complete nearly any task effortlessly,” RK900 said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Gavin dismissed, watching in drunk fascination as RK900 almost instantly rolled a perfectly shaped joint, even raising it to his lips to wet the side and seal it up. Gavin took a sip of his beer.

“It is done,” RK900 announced, handing the joint to Gavin.

“Is your spit gonna like, get me more fucked up?” Gavin wondered aloud as he lit it, and RK900 laughed again, leaning back in his seat. Gavin wasn’t looking, but he kind of felt like RK900 was watching him. At least for a second.

The cards were forgotten as Dom and Gavin passed the joint back and forth, laughing over old aunt Francine’s cascading pearls and young, yoga teaching boyfriend and all the other highlights from the wedding. Dom didn’t bring up anybody thinking Gavin and RK900 were - you know. Which was pretty unusual, because that was the type of thing Dom would usually have a laughing fit over. Instead, he avoided the subject entirely. Gavin wasn’t sure whether he was grateful or not.

Eventually Dom refused the joint when Gavin offered it, stretching and yawning instead. “No, no, I have to crash. I did my best but your old man is out of steam.”

“You did good, Dad. You can still hang with the best of them,” Gavin said.

“That would be us,” RK900 clarified.

“Yeah, that would be us,” Gavin said. He was grinning, he knew it, but he couldn’t help himself. His father was looking at him, then, a warm expression on his face.

“I’ll send you the pics from the wedding,” Dom said, nodding firmly. “It’s good to see you so happy, Gavin.” He stood from his chair resolutely. Gavin frowned.

“Everyone’s acting like I’m pissed off all the time or something.”

Dom waved him off. “Smoke as much as you’d like, just put it away when you’re done. And don’t let him stay up too late, RK.”

“I will do my best,” RK900 said, LED turning yellow like he was adding it to one of his ten million task lists.

“And you, don’t drink too much more! You don’t know how it’ll affect you yet,” Dom said in an almost scolding voice. “You might be in for a terrible hangover!” To punctuate his point, he took a sip of tequila and then placed the bottle on the table in front of him forcefully. “And so will I if I don’t get off this damn porch!”

Dom said good night and made them both promise to wake up by eleven so they could have breakfast together, and then he disappeared into the house, just Gavin and RK900 and the rain around them. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Gavin wondered what RK900 was thinking about. What had he even gotten out of this whole thing? Added a bunch of potential insults to whatever list he no doubt kept on Gavin? Wrote an instruction manual on how to deal with drunk idiots?

“Your father is a kind man,” RK900 said as Gavin lit another cigarette.

“He really is,” Gavin said, watching as his phone lit up with a bunch of notifications, the photos from his dad. “Glad you guys got along.”

“I am too,” RK900 said, then he added, almost hesitantly, “I assumed your father would dislike me as you did when we first met.”

“No, he’s always making friends with everybody,” Gavin said, remembering what Connor had said. “I knew he’d like you,” he added firmly, almost defensively, though he wasn’t sure which one of them he was defending.

“Unlike Connor, I was not designed to integrate well with humans,” RK900 admitted. “After your warnings about your family I was not concerned for my physical well-being, as I could easily defend myself. But I did not want to cause trouble at such an event. I’m pleased it went well.”

“Yeah, it was cool, it was fun,” Gavin said, sipping his beer, floating a little bit, feeling like RK900 had just shared some deep dark secret with him. He rarely spoke of his life before joining the DPD. Gavin wanted to know more, to know everything, but he wasn't about to interrogate RK900 on his aunt's porch swing. He swallowed and added, "Would've been cooler if you had like, punched out Auntie Francine or something.”

“Her hands came dangerously close to my ass,” RK900 said darkly, and Gavin burst out laughing.

“It was the socks, I’m tellin’ you,” Gavin said, shaking his head. “They made you irresistible.”

“Did they?” RK900 was looking at him again, making fun of him, and Gavin wasn’t laughing anymore. He cleared his throat and took another drink.

“No, you fucking dick,” Gavin said. “But....I really am glad we got to come, fuckin' honestly."

“It was true what you said, wasn’t it,” RK900 said, sounding almost curious. Gavin felt a little relieved that RK900 sensed his need for a change of subject. “You only see Dom twice a year.”

“Yep, been that way for a long time now,” Gavin said. He scratched at his chin a little awkwardly. “I’d like to see him more, don’t get me wrong. I work all the time and he travels a lot. We get together whenever we can. It was just the two of us for a while, so. It was kind of hard to get used to living far away at first, you know? But we work it out.”

“I see,” RK900 said, and for some reason, Gavin felt like he actually did. “You don’t often talk about your past.”

Gavin shrugged. “Neither do you. Doesn’t really come up. I dunno, never thought you’d be interested I guess.”

“I am very interested,” RK900 said, and Gavin felt that same light and bubbly and terrifying feeling like he had felt back at the dock, and RK900 was looking at him in the same way, with his yellow LED spinning in his temple, like he was trying to make sense of Gavin and what he was going to say next.

Fuck, Gavin was going insane. There was something in those god damn White Castle Burgers that was making him trip the fuck out. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a teenager, all strung out on just being around somebody, the haze of beer and smoke and rain around them, knowing he could probably spend the whole fucking night just sitting here talking with RK900 about literally anything. I’m fucking stoned, Gavin thought, that’s all.

“Think I’m a little too fucked up right now,” Gavin said, feeling a little dizzy all of a sudden, like he was about to share entirely too much. “Not that it’s bad or anything, I just… I dunno. It’s a lot to get into. You don’t want to hear it, you really don’t.”

“If you insist,” RK900 said.

“Anything else you wanna ask?” Gavin said.

“Yes,” RK900 said at once, too quickly, strange for him. “But it doesn’t seem like now is the time.” He seemed nervous, almost. But RK900 never got nervous. He was probably still buzzing off all that thirium gin. He paused, LED still whirling, like a little spot of sunlight. “Your turn. Do you have a question for me?”

“Yeah,” Gavin said. “Wanna roll another joint?”

~

RK900 had been right, he didn’t get anything out of smoking, but the gesture of passing it back and forth was something he seemed to enjoy, and Gavin couldn't deny the fuzzy attraction that twisted under his skin at the image of RK900 smoking. Gavin joked about corrupting him and RK900 shot back that he had been corrupted long before he met Gavin. They dropped the questions, leaving something strange and unanswered hanging in the smoky air accumulating between them, something Gavin couldn’t even put words to. His nerves had mostly dissipated, leaving behind a comfortable, warm haze. RK900’s LED had been yellow for ages now, but he seemed good, he seemed happy to just bullshit with Gavin, or as close to happy as Gavin had ever seen him for such a long stretch of time.

Shortly after midnight, RK900 put the joint out in the ashtray and sat back, just as he had the night before when they were playing cards. “It is getting late,” he said, sounding almost reluctant, weirdly enough. “Your father wants to have breakfast at eleven.”

“That’s so long from now,” Gavin said, even as he yawned. “We could watch a trippy movie or something.”

“Not tonight, Gavin Reed,” RK900 said, gathering their things as he stood and waited for Gavin to haul himself up. “We have a long drive tomorrow.”

“Can sleep in the car,” Gavin grumbled. “That was the whole point.”

“So were you planning on staying awake and imbibing in substances until breakfast?” RK900 asked, amused.

“Maybe I was, who fuckin cares, it’s July Fourth for gods sake. I was kinda hoping to see some fireworks.”

Standing up made Gavin feel way more fucked up, and he felt RK900's hand on his shoulder, steadying him. Gavin held the door open for him and helped him put the stuff away, dropping the roaches into Dom’s bag, as they bickered back and forth, something Gavin always had energy for, and then RK900 had his palms on Gavin's back, and he was walking behind Gavin, walking him down the hallway towards their respective doors, and Gavin was laughing and squirming out of his grasp. He turned around as soon as he could, his back hitting the doorway as his hand rested on the knob, opening the door without stepping inside.

“You really that tired?” Gavin complained again, leaning against the doorframe as RK900 did the same across from him. He suppressed a yawn, not wanting to undermine his point. “You said it yourself, we actually got a three day weekend. We should be enjoying it.”

“I am enjoying it,” RK900 said.

“I am too, but like, I dunno. I don’t feel like going to sleep.”

“You are drunk, Detective Gavin Reed,” RK900 said in his best, I-solved-the-case voice.

“So are you,” Gavin shot back.

“I am not.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his shoulder leaning casually against the doorframe, looking down at Gavin through long dark unnecessary eyelashes. “I am not feeling anything.”

“I’m pretty stoned, so you’re not feeling what I’m feeling, that’s true,” Gavin said. He poked RK900 in the chest pointedly. “But you’re feeling something.”

Suddenly Gavin was incredibly fucking aware of RK900’s cool, thin hand wrapped around his wrist, drawing his hand up and away, holding it there between them. His grip wasn’t hard or painful, just firm, keeping Gavin in place.

“Yes, I am feeling something,” RK900 said in a low voice that crept right down Gavin’s spine, and Gavin felt crazy, Gavin felt like he was holding his breath for some reason, Gavin felt like RK900 was going to tell Gavin the secrets of the universe or something, it felt so important, and then RK900 was straightening up, looking at him, his LED still spinning and flickering as he released Gavin’s hand. For one very slight sliver of a second Gavin was sure he saw the ring turn red, but it was gone just as quickly, and that was fucking weird enough.

RK900 said, “I am feeling like you need to get some sleep.”

“You’re no fun,” Gavin mumbled. He rubbed at his wrist where RK900’s hand had just been, curled around his skin. He felt about a hundred percent dumber than he had ten seconds ago.

“I am not,” RK900 agreed. It was strange, but Gavin was almost sure RK900 was hesitating, lingering there in the doorway next to him.

And if RK900 had just been - a guy. If he had just been some random fling Gavin had brought to this dumb wedding and they had laughed and drank and smoked together and he had looked like _that,_ Gavin would probably be - he didn’t even know _what_ he would do. He barely knew what to do now. RK900 looked fucking gorgeous, and he was smiling at Gavin like they were in on some insane secret, he trusted Gavin, they were the best detectives on the force, they were the _best_ , they were _partners_. And Gavin wasn’t gonna fuck that up. Motherfucking company policy, right?

Detective “I am perfect in every possible fucking way” RK900 probably couldn’t even break the rules. Yeah, he was deviant, but he was so uptight about everything - wasn’t he? And even if he could break the stupid rules, he didn’t want to anyway. Did he?

Barely a few moments passed, it felt like, before RK900 was pushing away from the wall, nodding briefly to Gavin as he reached for his own doorknob. “Goodnight, Gavin.”

“Night, R,” Gavin said. It came out a lot quieter than he intended, and when RK900’s door closed, Gavin slumped back against the doorway, leaning his head back and taking a deep breath, feeling weirdly disappointed and hating himself for it.

~

Gavin brushed his teeth and used the best smelling face shit he could find in the cabinet and then slunk back to his room, staring at RK900’s closed door just a few seconds too long, feeling like he was missing some big important piece of the puzzle here. With a sigh, he went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him and shedding his still-damp clothes in favor of a loose shirt and boxers. Gavin flopped onto the bed, the springs creaking ominously as he made himself comfortable.

He opened up his phone, finally, seeing he had missed a couple of texts from Tina, the fireworks over the lake where she was staying, which made him smile to himself. He thought about sending her a photo from the wedding, and then, remembering, opened up the message from his father, with all the photos attached. There were a lot of them; Dom had probably just selected all the photos he had taken and sent them off.

As Gavin flicked through the photos, he slowly found himself sitting up straighter and straighter, hunched over his phone in the dark. One of the first pictures was Gavin and RK900 toasting each other in the rental car. Gavin had been smiling, and RK900 was too, sort of, looking at him, both looking like they were up to no good and totally knew it. It was a good picture.

A lot of them were like that, Gavin realized. There were a bunch of pictures of the park and the lake and the wedding decorations, selfies Dom had taken with other wedding guests. But there were a lot of pictures that were just - Gavin and RK900. The two of them talking to each other, or standing or sitting together, or looking at each other. No wonder everyone had thought they were - you know. It almost looked like it, if you just looked at the pictures, which was... stupid. Gavin was smiling in them, a lot. He had never seen himself smile so much. RK900, either. He looked relaxed. He looked good. They looked good together.

Oh, god dammit. Gavin was being so annoying. He groaned and tossed his phone away without texting Tina anything, not wanting to hear what she would have to say. He pulled the blankets over his face, just listening to the sound of the AC and the rain and his own breathing, trying to think about something, anything else.

Gavin laid in bed for a very long time. He couldn’t even close his eyes, didn’t even mindlessly scroll on his phone, only checking the time every few minutes, watching the night tick by. He rolled around, kicking the blankets off of himself eventually, staring at the wall, staring at the ceiling.

What the fuck was this? Gavin hadn’t felt this way in a very fucking long time. RK900 was so fucking _great,_ actually, he was funny and cool and really fucking cute about shit sometimes. He brought Gavin coffee and gave him cupcakes and met his dad and put himself out there at this stupid wedding that could have been a total mess. Why would he do something like that?

Gavin knew why he had done it himself, why he had invited RK900 in the first place. He… liked him. Sure, he was a bitchy sarcastic motherfucker, but so was Gavin, and RK900 was somebody he just vibed with. He had never expected to be friends with an android, but they _were_ friends, they spent all their time together and they worked well together as partners. And he was here at the wedding. Gavin had been serious, RK900 wasn’t just his coworker. He was…

Totally off limits. Company policy. _There’s nothing to stop._ Yeah, that was a bunch of fucking bullshit.

He pulled a pillow to his chest, hugging it as his mind crawled over each moment of the last nine months in complete detail, getting to know RK900 and feeling out how he could joke around with him, and how they started solving cases at the best rate in the department all of a sudden and Fowler was congratulating them both as a team, and how they spent just about every waking hour together and Gavin never got bored of him, not even once.

He thought about what Connor had said, that RK900 was looking forward to the wedding, that he wanted Dom’s approval. About Dom leaning in close to Gavin and saying in approval, _I like him._ Gavin liked him too. Gavin liked everything about him, honestly. His LED, his stupid annoying smug smile, his rare laugh. The way he played cards and smoked a cigarette and taunted Gavin and leaned in the doorway looking down at him. His LED had been yellow. It was always yellow when he looked at Gavin like that.

Gavin sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He swept his hands through his hair, breathing deeply. Okay, he was still kind of drunk, still a little stoned, and it was the Fourth of July and RK900 was in stasis in the bedroom across the hall, totally unaware of the personal crisis Gavin was enduring. Gavin needed a cigarette. Maybe RK900 wanted one. Why the hell would he want a cigarette, Gavin thought, scrubbing his hands across his face. He doesn’t want that kind of stuff. (Gavin had a feeling that was kind of a bunch of bullshit too.)

He stood, slowly, then walked to the door, but didn’t open it. He put his sweaty hand on the doorknob and didn’t move. He didn’t have to knock on RK900’s door or anything, he could just go outside and sit on the porch swing. Alone. But he didn’t want to be alone.

Fuck it, he thought, he pulled open the door, and RK900 was standing there with his hand raised, as if he had been about to knock. He was in a loose shirt and sweatpants, his LED spinning nothing but yellow.

“Uh,” Gavin said. He nearly lost his balance in the doorway. “Hi.”

“Hi,” RK900 said, his hand falling down to his side. They stared at each other.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I thought _you_ were asleep.”

“So you were coming to wake me up,” Gavin said. His chest was fluttering.

“No,” RK900 said. “I was coming to ask if I could kiss you.”

“What the - um, fuck _yes,_ ” Gavin sputtered, and before he could barely get the word out RK900 had his hands on his face and he was drawing him closer and RK900 was kissing him, like really literally actually kissing him in the doorway of the guest bedroom at his Aunt Laura’s house, and Gavin was kissing him back, twisting his hands in RK900’s shirt and practically laughing into his mouth, his whole body buzzing like he had been electrified.

“Do you find this funny, Detective,” RK900 said, lips curving into a smirk as he continued kissing Gavin between words like he had absolutely every idea of what he was doing to Gavin.

“That’s not the fucking word for it,” Gavin said. “Get the fuck in here.”

He grabbed the front of RK900’s shirt and tugged him into the room, walking backwards until he could kick the door closed behind them, and then they were rolling around against the closed door, kissing frantically until RK900 had him boxed in, his hands on either side of Gavin’s head, pressing down on him relentlessly.

“Wait, I have to breathe,” Gavin whispered, breaking away from his mouth and running his fingers through RK900’s hair, realizing he had never touched it before and finding himself instantly obsessed. He felt drunk and high and insane and incredibly fucking sober all at the same time. “God dammit, what the _hell_ is going on?”

“I’m kissing you,” RK900 said, and Gavin put his arms around his neck, pressing into him, unable to stop laughing now.

“Yeah, I am pretty fucking aware of that, trust me,” Gavin said. “But what about - company policy,” the last two words were muffled by RK900’s mouth.

When Gavin was thoroughly panting, RK900 pulled back, looking at him. “The DPD policies are surprisingly not very specific when it comes to workplace relationships,” RK900 said. “I am discovering many loopholes. Or, as you might say…” He leaned back down, brushing his nose against Gavin’s. “Fuck it.”

He let RK900 crowd him up against the door, holding him there and kissing up and down Gavin’s neck, his jaw and behind his ear, until Gavin was wriggling around and arching into RK900’s touch, until all he could think about was whether he was fucking hallucinating this or not. RK900 had drawn closer, his hands on Gavin’s face, kissing him like didn’t have to do anything else ever again, and Gavin knew that if RK900 stepped away, he would probably just fall on the fucking ground.

“Why the fuck are you so good at this,” Gavin breathed wonderously, “you’ve been watching too many movies.”

“I have preconstructed this scenario many times,” RK900 said in a low voice.

“So you’ve been thinking about this too,” Gavin felt dizzy. “Fuck, you’ve been driving me fucking crazy.”

“Stop talking,” RK900 said. “I have so many errors relating to you I can barely function.”

“Me too, fucking asshole,” Gavin grinned as RK900 kissed him again, and then he turned his attention to RK900’s neck, finding himself in the perfect position to kiss all up and down the long column of his throat, addicted to the way RK900’s unnecessary breaths hitched and sighed, little expressions Gavin had never heard before, drugged up on the sights and sounds of RK900 giving in to him. His hands reverently trailed down RK900’s hard chest, across his ribs and belly, to just above his waistband, he wanted this so bad and he didn’t give a fuck anymore - and it was there that he paused. “Wait, RK, do you… you know? Fuck?”

“What are you asking, Detective?” RK900 asked in an almost innocent voice, and Gavin grinned despite himself, mouthing down into his collarbone.

“I think it’s something I might wanna know about.”

“And why would that be?”

“Because I've been preconstructing that fucking scenario too,” Gavin said, and RK900 was kissing him again, conquering him and leaving him practically gasping when he pulled back to let Gavin breathe.

“I certainly have the capability,” RK900 said then, picking up Gavin’s hand and placing it between his legs.

“Oh, _hell_ yes.”

“But,” RK900 pulled Gavin’s hand away, letting it rest on his chest again, “I am not about to expose myself to you when we are both drunk in your aunt’s guest bedroom while your father sleeps upstairs.”

“Nooooo,” Gavin whined, drunkenly wiggling against him. "You're such a fucking _tease_."

“No is correct,” RK900 said, continuing to kiss him, holding him up against the door, and Gavin melted into it every time, hanging onto RK900 like he was going to fly up and hit the ceiling if he didn’t. RK900 moved back again slightly, his breath ghosting over Gavin’s mouth. “I hope this will not be our only opportunity. But I believe I could kiss you all night,” he murmured. “If you’ll let me.”

“Yes, okay, oh my god,” Gavin was dying, he knew it, “all fucking night.”

“The sun rises at 5:32 am,” RK900 said.

“My dad doesn’t wanna have breakfast until eleven,” Gavin shot back, and RK900 was laughing again, resting his forehead against Gavin’s almost affectionately.

“You are insufferable,” RK900 said.

“Yeah, you like it though.”

“Yes,” RK900 said, pressing him back against the door. “I have always liked it.”

~

**Dad**

**8:11 AM  
**

Morning kiddo. Going to the supermarket etc. Should be back by 9:30 or so

**8:11 AM**

If you need anything just let me know. Going to get bloody mary stuff 8)

**8:11 AM**

And it was the weirdest thing.. went to knock on RK's door to see if he wanted  
to tag along again but he wasnt in there.. maybe he went for a walk?

**8:12 AM**

Whenever he comes back, make sure you show him the wedding pics- love  
seeing you so happy with your friend. Im so proud of you Gavin. But please  
for your own sake ask him to show you how to roll a joint. You're 36 years  
old, time to try something new.. love you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Don't let me be the last to know](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGoM7atmJJA)
> 
> Ok so originally this was just four chapters but when I was editing it I decided to split this last one into two. I posted the last few scenes as the fifth chapter :) Thank you so much for reading and god bless Britney Spears.


	5. But it feels alright

Gavin woke up alone, just after ten thirty according to the clock on the desk. The storm had long stopped. The previous night came back to him in bits and pieces, all fogged over by his inevitable hangover, and he laid there with the sheet over his face, desperately wanting to remember every single little detail, scared shitless at how much he had wanted to wake up with RK900 next to him.

Gavin remembered hearing things quiet down, sometime in the middle of the night after RK900 had picked him up and thrown him onto the bed and kept kissing Gavin until he couldn’t breathe, until they were just holding each other with the blankets twisted up under them and RK900 had made him stand up so he could make the bed. Gavin wasn’t sure how long they had laid there, afterwards, side by side, RK900’s hands clasped in his lap as Gavin leaned against him and talked about the house he had grown up in. How he wished he had met RK900 sooner. Fuck, he had really said that, hadn’t he? And RK900 had smirked and said, _You would have hated me._

Gavin thought about his family, how he had expected so little from them, how he had expected so little from himself over all these months, and how easy it was to just look at RK900 and say, I want to be around him.

He threw the sheet off and pressed his face into the pillows. They smelled like RK900, like rain and secondhand smoke, clean and a little corrupted. Through the crack in his door, he could hear his father and RK900 talking in the kitchen, Dom laughing, RK900 speaking in his low, even voice. The sun streamed in through the blinds, and on the bedside table was a steaming cup of coffee.

~

Dom had never been one for big goodbyes, so after breakfast they gathered up their shit, smoked one last cigarette together, and Dom sent them on their way with a couple of hugs each.

“I’ll be back home tomorrow,” Dom said, squeezing Gavin’s shoulder as they lingered by the car and RK900 threw the last of their stuff inside. “I’ll give you a call and we can gossip more.”

“I guarantee we’ll still be at work no matter how late you call,” Gavin said, not even caring that they had to go back. He was looking forward to it, honestly, sitting across from RK900’s desk and shooting the shit. They hadn’t talked about - anything, really, about what they were doing, and Gavin wasn’t even sure what he would say anyway. Gavin had expected RK900 to be the type of dude who wanted the immediate “what are we” conversation, but they just bickered like usual. When Dom had left the house for a few minutes to grab something from the car, RK900 didn’t take the opportunity to say anything, just leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, looking at Gavin with a solid yellow LED. Gavin felt like he was being eaten alive.

“Well, we’ll talk sometime during the week,” Dom said resolutely. “Shoot me a text when you guys arrive home safely.”

“Sure thing,” Gavin said, only a little distracted by RK900’s ass as he bent over into the car. “What are you up to tonight? Another whole day off before your flight.”

“Actually, I’m going to have dinner with your Aunt Francine while we’re both still in town,” Dom said. “She wanted some help planning her first vacation with that new man of hers, and I told her I have just the thing…”

~

The drive back was uneventful, mostly because Gavin conked out almost instantly once they got on the highway. He dreamt about a bunch of weird shit and then woke up with a start just as they got back into Detroit, RK900 shaking his shoulder. 

“We are approaching your apartment, Gavin,” RK900 said, and then he dropped a huge bottle of gatorade on Gavin’s lap. “You are dehydrated.”

“Ugh,” Gavin said. He cracked open the bottle and eyed RK900. “You just been sitting there the whole time?”

“No, I completed a stasis cycle,” RK900 said, still looking at him too.

“You hungover?” Gavin wondered if they made gatorade for androids. “Is that like, a thing?”

“My decision making processors have returned to normal.”

Gavin laughed. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it I guess.” He yawned and stretched, mulling over RK900’s words. He could almost convince himself that last night had been a dream too, a fucked up fabrication, if he couldn’t still one hundred perfect feel RK900’s mouth over his. He remembered everything. Did RK900? “So, uh, we were pretty drunk last night.”

“Gavin, we are outside your apartment.”

“Don’t change the subject, RK,” Gavin said.

The car had stopped. The doorway to Gavin’s building was right there. Gavin didn’t get out of the car. He stared at RK900 with all the intensity he usually saved for an interrogation, and for once, RK900 backed down.

“I have never been intoxicated before,” RK900 said, as if Gavin didn’t know. “If I crossed a boundary - “

“Oh, shut up,” Gavin said with a wave of his hand. His heart was pounding. “You didn’t cross shit. I said yeah.” He watched RK900’s LED, yellow, yellow. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” RK900 said. “I had the distinct sensation I did not want the night to end.”

“You stayed in my room,” Gavin said, remembering his dad’s text. He felt high as fuck all of a sudden. “After I fell asleep.”

“I like being next to you,” RK900 said.

“Fuck,” Gavin scrubbed his hands over his face, laughing breathlessly. He was so fucking crazy for this android, it was stupid. “Wanna come upstairs?”

~

“Lulu, I’m back,” Gavin called out as he unlocked the door and let RK900 in. “Just ignore her, she’ll come to you eventually.”

“I will remember that,” RK900 said as Gavin closed the door behind them, locking it and turning to face his partner, their bags laying in the hallway, and holy shit, RK900 was… in his apartment.

Gavin never really brought anybody over. Dom had stayed for holidays a couple of times. Tina had slept on the couch, after long nights of drinking when she didn’t feel like going home. If Gavin slept with anybody, he always went to their place so he could leave on his own terms. Not that he was about to sleep with RK900.

He didn’t care about Connor or whoever stopping in to feed Lulu or check on things or whatever. But spending time here with somebody felt indescribably intimate for some reason. Maybe it just depended on the somebody.

“So, this is it,” Gavin said as he kicked off his shoes and moved into the kitchen, grabbing Lulu’s food out of the fridge. RK900 followed him, looking around.

“How long have you lived here?” RK900 asked.

“Uh, just over five years,” Gavin said. “I was living in another place crosstown for a while but, wanted something a little bigger once I got promoted.” He crouched down on the ground and emptied the food into Lulu’s bowl, and at the sound, her little black head poked out from around the corner, aggressively growling at RK900.

“That is your cat,” RK900 said.

“Yeah, she’s a little old bitch but I love her,” Gavin said. “Like I said, just ignore her. Come on Lu, eat your food and stop complaining.” Lulu slowly approached, eyeing RK900 suspiciously, but she started eating all the same. 

“Do you enjoy living here?” 

“Yeah, it’s alright,” he said with a shrug. “You like living in your place?”

“It is alright,” RK900 said. “Your apartment is well-decorated.”

“Not really,” Gavin said, looking around at the old posters and scratched up furniture, the disorganized shelves full of old books and records. “It looks like shit.”

“It is well suited to you,” RK900 said.

“Nice, asshole,” Gavin said with a laugh, and RK900 was smiling a little bit too, looking down at him. “What a compliment.”

“I thought so,” RK900 said, stepping forward. “This is where you spend all your time. I like it.”

“Cool,” Gavin said, feeling a little short of breath at how close RK900 was. “I like that you’re here.”

“I like that you asked me.”

“Well, I like that you said yeah.”

He wasn’t sure which when of them moved first but suddenly they were kissing in Gavin’s kitchen, RK900’s hands framing his face, kissing him slow and deep. This was nothing like the night before, frantically fighting for control against the door, laughing and teasing; this was something else entirely, heavy, deliberate. RK900 walked him backwards until his back hit the fridge, his relentless mouth seeking Gavin’s and leaving him completely fucked. Gavin hooked his arms around RK900’s neck, pulling him closer, forgetting about everything else, until -

Lulu was yowling, furiously scratching at RK900’s shoes.

“Lulu, don’t be so fuckin’ jealous,” Gavin said, breaking away to look down at her. She ran off, turning around to give RK900 one last nasty glare. “She’ll get used to you.”

“She will?” RK900 questioned with a crooked little smile.

“You might have to come over a lot.”

“I would like that,” RK900 said, and pulled him closer again. “I suggest you show me around your apartment so I am familiar with it.”

“If you want,” Gavin said. “Not much else to see except the bedroom.” Gavin’s grin spread as RK900 looked at him expectantly. “You think you’re real slick, don’t you?”

“Yes,” RK900 said, and yeah, he was right.

~

Fucking RK900 was nothing and everything like Gavin had expected. He had pushed Gavin onto the bed, crawling over him like a starving animal, crushing him into the mattress, his mouth and hands searing across Gavin’s skin, peeling off one layer of clothing at a time until Gavin was begging for it. But he moved slowly, carefully almost at first - asking, can I, do you want, do you need… and Gavin said yes over and over, until RK900 had him pinned down and coming apart, until Gavin was seeing and feeling fireworks, until RK900 pressed his face into his neck and went perfectly still, LED going yellow, yellow, yellow. Gavin hadn’t had sex like that in… his entire fucking life. Oh, he was so done for. 

“R,” Gavin breathed, once he could again, nudging RK900’s shoulder as he lay silently on top of Gavin. “Did you die?”

“Some of my processors had to restart,” RK900 said. He didn’t move. “I feel intoxicated.”

“Me too, dummy.” Gavin didn’t want to move either. “I’m hungry and I need a fucking cigarette.”

“There is a Taco Bell 1.01 miles from here,” RK900 said, muffled into Gavin’s neck. “They have a new drink called the Blue Blood Blast. I want one.”

“Think I might be a bad influence on you,” Gavin said. He grinned into RK900’s stupid perfect hair. “What does company policy say about you stayin’ the night here?”

“I don’t care,” RK900 said, and Gavin kissed him.

~

**RK6900**

**10:30 am**

I just left a coffee for you.

**10:31 am**

Thanks goof. Just getting the Walker files now

**10:31 am**

Missing me already huh

**10:32 am**

No.

**10:32 am**

When will you be back?

**10:33 am**

Lol. 15 mins

**10:33 am**

There’s a lot to go over. Might need to take some paperwork home 

**10:33 am**

Inconveniently I left my bag at your apartment this morning. I need to return there to collect it. Perhaps we can have a productive evening. 

**10:33 am**

I guess you’re inviting yourself over

**10:34 am**

We don’t have to just work you know. We can grab a snack, listen to some records or whatever

**10:34 am**

Do you have Britney Spears’ 1999 debut album?

**10:35 am**

No

**10:36 am**

There’s an old music store on the way back from my house tho. They might have it we could check it out

**10:38 am**

A scan of their inventory shows they have it in stock. 

**10:39 am**

We’ll go there on the way home

**10:44 am**

Can you be like leaning over your desk casually when I show back up? I’m coming up the hallway

**10:44 am**

Tryna get a peek of that plastic ass

**10:44 am**

You are so crude.

**10:44 am**

How is that?

**10:45 am**

Move a little to the right

**10:45 am**

Fuckin perfect 

~

“Hey Pops, how was the flight?

“Eh, not too shabby,” Dom said through the phone. Gavin could tell he was smoking a cigarette. “Just waiting for my autocab home. You still working?”

It was just after seven. Gavin and RK900 had just gotten to Gavin’s apartment, a bag full of snacks on the table, Gavin leaning in the hallway as RK900 took his jacket off and sat on the couch, looking at the records they had just bought. Gavin had let RK900 pick whatever he wanted, some old pop, weird sci fi soundtracks, ABBA’s greatest hits. Gavin watched with a little smile as he reverently ran his hands over Hit me baby one more time. Fucking freak. Gavin couldn’t wait to put it on the record player.

“Nah, brought some work home with me,” Gavin said. He cleared his throat. “Uh, RK came over.”

“He did,” Dom said, drawing the words out. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah, I think we’re just gonna.. hang out,” Gavin said. “Not as coworkers but, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Dom said. Gavin could practically see the shit eating grin on his face.

“Shut up Dad.”

“Did you show him the pictures?” Dom asked. “I can’t get over how happy you two looked.”

“I did,” Gavin said. “There was one really good one of the three of us together. I was thinking…” He watched as Lulu slowly stalked around the corner, no doubt waiting to make RK900 her next victim. He sat very still on the couch, watching her. “I was thinking I’d maybe blow it up, get it framed or whatever. I got plenty of space on my desk.”

“I’d be honored,” Dom said. “You make a good team, Gavin.”

“Yeah,” Gavin said as Lulu attacked RK900’s shoes. He sat silently, letting her go crazy, the smallest smile on his face. He glanced up at Gavin, his LED shifting yellow, yellow, to blue. “We kinda fuckin do, don’t we?”


End file.
